


Crystal Gems Online

by Drawinganimemaster



Series: Crystal Gems Online [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 15:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 90,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4630236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drawinganimemaster/pseuds/Drawinganimemaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A blind girl seeks to escape her life by logging onto a new role playing game which allows you to create your own avatar. She meets a strange red gem who catches her attention. They are total opposites but when they are trapped in the game they will have to rely on each other to get out. Will they make it out in time before their bodies die in the real world or will time run out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stuck

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 1: Stuck**

Small hands fiddled with the large box within pale almost blue hands. A girl with long brown hair, bangs covering blind eyes, sat patently in the chair at her computer desk. Her mother had just bought her a new role playing video game where the user was able to be transported into the game by wearing head devices, she might even be able to see in the game; Amy couldn't wait. The game was called, 'Crystal Gems', and it was a game where the players would be able to have there own special powers just to battle others in the game. You could create groups to become stronger, be a solo player, or you could set up small shops to just sell gear to the players. It's a normal life game, just with unique abilities and creatures; it was sure to be worthwhile.

Amy heard the sound of wires connecting at her right, the sound of a satisfied sigh from her mother who was setting the game up. "It's finished Amy,"

"Thank you mother," The blind girl spoke, smiling in where she expected her mother to be. "Can you hand me the helmet so that I may begin?"

Her mother nodded, knowing that her daughter couldn't see it anyway. "Sure sweetie, just don't get too wrap into this like when you played Sword Art Online; you have to eat dinner you know."

Amy sighed with a small smile on her face as she placed her head wear on. "I already ate dinner and finished all of my homework, I think some game time is way over due."

Her mother smiled and kissed her on the head. "You deserve it sweetie," She kissed her daughter on the head softly. "Have fun, I'm going to check on your brother; don't stay up too late!"

The sound of footsteps ended abruptly once Amy turned the game on. To her amazement the game actually adjusted her eyesight and she was able to see the bright colors, lights, and words that appeared on the screen.

A small smile cracked on her pale face. "Amazing!"

She went to work right away, eager to meet new people from all around the world and ready for the many new adventures that were to come.

The first thing that appeared on the screen was asking if she wanted to be a boy or a girl, she clicked on girl. She was given many choices to design her character; hair color, skin color, outfit, eye color, anything you could name.

When she had finished she was given the chance to look at her newly created character. Her avatar wasn't that much different than she usually looked, except for the now long blue hair that covered her eyes and soft light blue skin that followed. She was wearing a different shade of blue dress that reached her knees and softly flowed in the wind.

She had a dark purple sword strapped in a case behind her back along with dark black combat boots which matched with the dress surprisingly well. In addition, she also had white tape wrapped around her the forearms.

"She's perfect," Amy whispered softly to herself as she finally clicked the finish button.

The words 'Insert Name Here' flashed on the screen in bright red lights, she tapped on the word blank with her pointer finger. A keyboard appeared in front of her as she silently typed out a name with no hesitation.

**Sapphire**

The screen then went blank for two seconds and then before she knew it she had fallen face first onto a soft grassy hill. Blue eyes peered through thick bangs as she watched as other new gamer's fell from the sky and onto the soft terrain that was this new world.

Sapphire stood up tall and looked down at her soft blue skin, it looked so real. She ran her hands through soft blue tresses, it felt real. She smiled as she looked up at the bright blue cloudy sky, it was all so amazing.

"Nice isn't it?" A voice boomed from beside her. "It's like you're in another dimension but in reality it's just a game, but we should enjoy it while we can right?"

Sapphire nodded respectfully and stretched out her hand. "I'm Sapphire,"

"I know," He chuckled as he pointed to the small diamond floating on her head. "Those things let other players know who you are and where you are. My name is Lars,"

She took it in and nodded once more, turning to look at the scene of players interacting with others. "How long have you been playing?"

"Few days I guess, but I haven't really had time to discover my powers yet." He mumbled.

"Powers?" Sapphire question.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Man you really are a novice! Powers are only given to certain players who posses gems. The lucky ones who have gems won't need to rely on stupid weapons like that sword on your back, probably isn't even very strong."

Lars pulled out his sword which shinned a bright blue and looked like nothing could destroy it. "Mine was made by this weird guy named Greg, he's really creepy but dude can make a nice sword," The brown haired skinny boy put his weapon back and eyed the blue girl quietly.

"So umm, y-you're like really bad at this game so how about…" He swallowed thickly as his cheeks flashed red, Sapphire looked at his curiously.

Being blind she was not used to human facial expressions and what they meant.

He closed his eyes and pulled out the user selection bar; he clicked on a red button which quickly sent a message to Sapphire who jumped slightly when it appeared in front of her. She looked at the silent request to be in a group with Lars and then looked back to him.

"Will you just decide already!" He shouted out angrily, face still red hot.

Sapphire didn't speak as she accepted his request and now joined the group that occupied her and him.

He let out a sigh in relief and finally smiled, well sneered, in her direction. "First thing first, I need to show you how to fight with that thing; and I know the perfect place!"

Lars grabbed her hand as another blush rose to his face, he scrolled through his user bar once more. "Don't get the wrong idea chick; we just need to be touching if we're both going to teleport to Beach City."

"Beach City?" She repeated, trying the words on her tongue.

He rolled his eyes as he clicked on the area he wanted to travel to. "Just hold on tight."

A yellow glow of energy flowed around them as they were quickly zapped to a regular looking beach surrounded by hundreds of other players. Lars pulled her along with him as he headed towards a large building that had a large dirt battle field in the middle; players cheering from the stands that surrounded it.

"This is the battle dome where players face off to see who is the strongest!" He smirked as he pointed to the score board that floated in the air. "Those are the top players listed, number one is and always will be Rose Quarts."

Sapphire looked at the top ten list of strong players with deep interest:

**1)Rose Quarts**

**2)Jasper**

**3)Peridot**

**4)Pearl**

**5)Lapis Lazulie**

**6)Ameythist**

**7)Ruby**

**8)Centipedal**

**9)Sadie**

**10)Lars**

Sapphire pushed Lars softly as a soft smile reached her face. "Only been playing for a few days, huh?"

"I kind of stretched the truth but whatever!" He chuckled, another blush finding its way onto his face, one of which Sapphire still couldn't comprehend. "How about I introduce you to a few of the top ten?"

She shook her head. "No thanks Lars, I want to meet them because I fought my way to the top not because I got lucky and met you."

He gave a firm nod, giving her a fist bump. "I respect that, you've just earned my respect." The sound of loud bells ringing alerted them that the first match was about to begin. "How about you find a seat and I enter you in? Since you're new you'll be matched with someone just as weak-"

"Ow!" He groaned as she punched him sharply in the chest. "Just go find a seat, I'll catch up later."

Sapphire smiled at him playfully as she slowly walked up the stairs which were filled with hundreds of players. They were either waiting to fight or just enjoying watching the fight. She found an empty seat on the hard concrete floor next to a player wearing a dark black cape, hiding their identity.

"Can I sit here?" She asked nicely.

The player made no movement but she could hear a soft, 'whatever' mumbled from them.

Sapphire sat next to the stranger, surprised at how comforting their presence was even though they didn't seem like the friendliest person in this game. Before she could continue to explore this feeling the first match had began to start.

" **And in the first match for the crown of Beach City we have Lars vs Sadie for 9** **th** **place! Maybe this time he can finally win!"**  The sound of the crowd laughing and the roaring cheers excited her; she felt her heart race at the thought of getting to fight on the battle field.

She smiled brightly as she saw Lars in what appeared to be his fighting gear, blue sword held close to his heart. "Amazing," Sapphire whispered to herself.

The match began with the girl Sadie running full speed towards Lars with her magical stick weapon that actually, really looked like a regular stick. Lars stood his ground with a look of utter focus which surprised Sapphire, she was used to seeing the boy a goofy clumsy mess; but on the field he was a different person.

Sadie landed the first hit on his sword but Lars pushed her hit off and she was pushed back due to his sudden power, she smirked. They both ran head to head and began to fighting with their weapons, each dodging strikes at the last second; it was a match to see.

Sapphire watched, mouth open in awe at the beauty of it all.

Too wrapped up in the fight she failed to notice the masked stranger secretly glancing at her from time to time; cursing softly under their breath.

Back on the battle field Lars quickly dodge an attack and plunged his sword into Sadie's stomach, stopping her movements completely. She glowed a bright orange color before her health bar dropped down from 50 to 0. A large icon with the word "WINNER" floated atop Lars' head and Sadie was brought back to life only shortly after her death.

The crowd cheered loudly and Sapphire even surprised herself as she jumped up and waved in the air. "Yeah Lars!"

" **The winner Lars is now at the number nine spot in the ranking and Sadie is dropped down to number ten. Our next battle will be with Ruby vs Centipedal for seventh overall! But until then we will have a few novice's have some fun."**

In the sky above the arena appeared the list of new arrivals who would be battling for the first time.  **"First up we will have Sapphire vs Blowfish, will the following players please report to their proper stations!"**

Sapphire gulped as the feeling of excitement left and was now replaced with nervousness. Lars spotted her from the steps and ran over to her quickly, a grin on his face.

"Check it out!" He pointed up at his diamond which now shined yellow. "Yellow means that I'm number nine, maybe one day you'll be at the top too!"

He smirked at Sapphire. "But there's only one way to do that!" He grabbed her blue hand and pulled her down the stairs and towards the tunnel which led out to the battle grounds. "You shouldn't worry Sapphire, I heard Blowfish sucks anyway."

She nodded at his attempt to be comforting but she could still feel her insides bubbling with anxiety. "W-what about my weapons-"

"You have a pretty useful sword right there on your back, search for weaknesses and don't show any of yours." He educated her. "Your health bar will be at 100 percent but if it gets to 0 before your foes then you loose,"

"And I die?" She gulped.

He shrugged. "Yeah but it last like a second, if anything thing it's like waking up from a nap. You've got this kid, make me proud!"

Lars pushed her out onto the battle field and quickly ran behind the bars where it was safe, he waved at her encouragingly. Sapphire sighed and removed her weapon, holding it awkwardly in her right hand.

Her opponent, Blowfish, was a boy about her age but defiantly taller than her. He was skinny and wore a green jumpsuit which surrounded his body; his name didn't fit his appearance at all. The boy was looking rather bored as he ate sharp pieces of metal, it didn't look very appetizing.

" **And the match between novice Sapphire and Blowfish will begin in 3…2…1…Fight!"**

She stood still and watched her opponent carefully, trying to use the tips that Lars had given her. But how was she supposed to hide her weakness when she didn't know what it was?

The boy Blowfish finished his metal shards, swallowing them down roughly. He began to choke on the sharp shards that had been lodged in his throat, he fell on his knees on the dirt floor. Sapphire took a step closer, trying to make sure the boy was alright.

His fit stopped suddenly and his skin began to bubble, as if something was trying to escape from beneath it.

"Run Sapphire! He isn't hurt it's just part of his fighting technique," She heard Lars shout from behind the metal bars keeping him back.

She looked back at the boy who now fit his name, Blowfish. His body had transformed into a large fat fish with sharp metal shards poking out from his skin, he was now twenty times larger than her. He opened his mouth which appeared to be empty, then a sharp flow of wind forced her back into the concrete walls surrounding the field.

Her back collided with the hard walls as gravity then pushed her back down to the dirt covered floor. Sapphire cracked one eye open and watched as her health dropped down to seventy percent, her back felt like it had been stabbed a million times in the same area.

"Sapphire you have to move before he comes back and spikes you!" She heard Lars shout from her far left.

She could also hear the sound of another voice to her right, also shouting at her. "Move you idiot!"

Not knowing why such an abrupt comment would strengthen her will, Sapphire rose quickly and ignored the pain as she barely avoided one of his metal spikes being thrown at her. She landed not so gracefully onto the dirt covered floor, landing on her stomach.

She used her sword to pull herself back up and watch as the Blowfish began to recharge, growing more spikes to replace the ones he had thrown at her.

"Use your weapon while he is weak!" She heard Lars shout from the bars.

She nodded and ran towards the beast, weapon held out in front of her. The fish caught her movement and blew another gust of wind, separating her from her weapon. She landed on her back while her weapon lay a few feet away, sticking straight up in the dirt.

Sapphire growled at Lars in frustration, glaring in his direction. "Any more bright ideas?"

"T-try your best?" He smiled unsure, not used to the calm and collected girl snapping at him.

The blue haired girl looked back at her foe who was almost finished growing his final spike. She rose to her feet and closed her eyes, trying to think of any possible outcomes where she could actually win; turns out there are a million of them.

Sapphire stood shocked as a giant montage literally flowed within her mind, millions of ways to defeat her foe were revealed to her. With new found understanding Sapphire opened her eyes and looked at the palm of her right hand and smiled softly.

She set her feet firmly on the ground and ran towards her foe with amazing speed, the crowd gasped and stood from their seats as they watch the petite girl zoom around the field. The Blowfish tried to follow but was no match for Sapphires speed and stuck to throwing random metal shards in her direction.

With her speed unlocked she managed to dodge all of the sloppy attacks with new found grace. She jumped into the air and grinned when the beast pointed his strong winds to the ground and followed her high in the sky.

"Alright do your thing!" Sapphire shouted as her hand started to glow a bright pink color, a large pink iron fist was formed.

She drew her iron fist back and then drew it forward when the beast was close enough, the force of her iron fist made the Blowfish go barreling back to the arena floor. With his spikes gone his dis-launched spikes which resided in the dirt collided with his now soft skin, causing him to burst; she had won.

Sapphire landed softly onto the dirt covered ground and retracted her pink iron fist. She shut out the loud roar from the crowd and continued to observe her right hand which had a small pink gem resting in the palm of it, that wasn't there before.

She was finally brought out of her thoughts when skinny arms pulled her into the air, spinning her around until she was dizzy. "You're a fucking gem Sapphire! This is awesome, and the way you fought!"

When he put her down she finally had time to look up and see the bright yellow words above her head, WINNER. She sighed softly and looked around at the unknown faces of the crowd while Lars continued to blabber on about how well she had done.

In the mist of her search she made eye contact with deep red eyes that remained hidden behind a black cape, she was broken from the eye contact when Lars pointed in the air.

High up up in the sky was a new ranking of novices, the name Sapphire sat at the very top as number one.

"Almost there kid!" Lars congratulated her with a real genuine smile which he rarely ever gave.

She gave him a light smile as she looked back towards ruby red eyes, their eyes remained locked as they each tried to solve a certain mystery about the other. The soft hue of ruby red quickly changed to one of angry fire and Sapphire followed where the sudden anger was directed at.

The fiery red eyes were openly glaring at the hand that gripped hers firmly, when had Lars even taken her hand?

In a strange attempt to explain herself Sapphire looked back up only to see that the dark masked stranger was no longer watching her from the stands, she sighed sadly and allowed Lars to guide her to where they were selling hot dogs and burger.

* * *

Pink eyes followed the movement of a certain blue haired girl from the top ten champion sky booth.

"We've finally found another gem," The large pink woman whispered in joy as she looked at her skinny friend who had a small blue gem in the middle of her head.

Said gem shook her head. "She has a lot to learn, maybe we shouldn't let her-"

"No!" The two gems turned to see the dark masked figure shouting at them with their hands in the air, the figure dropped their hands quickly. "I mean...Maybe we should give her a chance?"

A purple chubby girl let out a laugh. "What's wrong Ruby? Usually you're against recruiting other members," The gem raised a suspicious eye at the masked figure.

"She's different," Ruby muttered quietly under her breath with a hint of a rare smile.

The purple gem gasped in shock and put the masked figure into a head lock. "Holy shit you like her!"

"I don't like anyone," With a large amount of strength the dark figure pushed the other gem away, fixing now wrinkled fabric. "And I could care less if she joined or not,"

The pink haired woman placed a heavy hand on top of the dark figures head and slowly pulled the cape away to reveal sharp ruby eyes. Her short fro puffed up quickly and fell back into place as the woman gave her a smile.

"How about I get you to ask if she wants to join our group?" Ruby nodded softly as she tried to fight back the urge to smile. "She has already became friends with Lars so it shouldn't be that hard, but if you don't feel comfortable with it Lars can al-"

At the thought of Lars even touching her beloved blue beauty she fought back the urge to barge down there and punch him him the face. "He won't touch her and I'll handle it don't worry Rose."

The purple haired gem let out a rough laugh. "Haha go mark your territory Ruby!"

* * *

After all of the unnecessary praise from Lars, Sapphire had finally found the time to get a bite to eat with her new friend. They both ordered a cheeseburger and small drink as they returned to their seats high at the top of the stadium.

"Okay next up we have Ruby and Centipedal," He explained to her as he took a large bite from the burger, talking with his mouthful; Sapphire resisted the urge to scowl in disgust. "Ruby is a touch one and she won't give up her title so easy,"

The blue girl nodded as she quietly finished her meal, cleaning her mouth with a napkin after. "Who is Ruby?"

Lars burped loudly once he finished eating and then finished his drink in three large gulps. "The hot feisty chick in the black cape,"

Sapphire felt her heart speed up a mile per minute and she whipped her head quickly to the ignorant boy. "Black cape, and you actually know her?"

"More or less," He sighed, not interested in the conversation. "She's number seven out of ten and her skill is strength; actually when I think about it she has a gem in her hand just like you."

He scratched his chin. "You two might even have the same iron fist," Lars let out a chuckle. "But no matter how similar your powers are you are total opposites; you're cool and collected while she is rash and impatient."

The voice of the loud speaker stopped her from speaking again.  **"And for our next battle we will have Ruby and Centipedal fighting it out for seventh place!"**

Sapphire watched silently as the masked figure finally removed their hood, revealing a girl just a little bit shorter than her; if it was possible given her height. The girl lived up to her name Ruby; she wore the usual fighting gear, a baggy bright red shirt that was tucked into a deep red tight running pants.

The main thing that got her attention was the cute mini fro on top of the girls head which had a warriors band holding it back, her black uniform was now tied around her neck as a cape; it allowed Sapphire to see the strong muscles that were now revealed.

A deep blue flushed to the blue haired girls face as she eyed the noticeable muscles in Rubies arms and legs. Lars raised an eyebrow at his friend as she openly gawked at the girl on the field.

"Are you blushing?" He questioned as he poked her cheek where dark blue stained.

She slapped his finger away, not understanding what blushing was. "I-I don't think so," She looked over at him for knowledge. "In the real world my eye sight isn't very valuable to me, I lost it when I was five years old; so I'm not aware with the change in facial colors or what they mean…"

"Like before when you were asking me to join your group your face was turning bright red," Lars chocked on his spit and his face turned dark scarlet. "See, you're doing it again! What does it mean?"

Lars shook his head and tried to rid himself of his blush. "We-we'll uhm it's called blushing!" His voice cracked as he shouted, he cleared his throat and tried again. "It's called blushing, Sapphire. People usually do it when they are embarrassed, angry, or when your all hot and bothered if you know what I mean." He joked playfully.

Sapphire nodded thoughtfully as Lars pointed at Ruby once more. "Let's just watch the fight,"

With that being said they turned their attention back to the afro haired girl who had her opponent weakened to thirty percent in the few minutes that they were talking.

Ruby grabbed Centipedal by her tail and spun around rapidly, releasing the beast into the air. She released her iron fist and punched the beast in her gem when she came falling down, her gem shattered into a million pieces.

A bright light filled the arena followed by a small explosion, a bright green bubble was left in the remains of the beast. Ruby removed her fist and spat onto the floor beside the beast, the word 'WINNER' shone brightly on top of her head as the crowd cheered happily.

"Harsh," Lars mumbled with his hands behind his head.

Sapphire moved her vision back to the teenager and raised an eyebrow. "What was harsh?"

"She totally shattered her gem, once you shatter a gem it can't be brought back." He looked at the blue girl. "Only a few people in this game, such as yourself, are gifted with gems. Those gems give you cool level up techniques, like your iron fist."

She looked back at the shattered gem on the floor. "So what happens to her now?"

"Now, it will take a while for her to be able to log back on to the game and when she does she won't be a gem and her level up will be gone." Lars shuddered when dark red eyes met him angrily. "Someone must have gotten her really upset to destroy that dudes gem, and I hope it wasn't me. Let's get out of here?"

He held his hand out to help her up and smiled softly when she accepted it, they made there way out of the battle dome; unaware of the angry red eyes following them.

* * *

Ruby was beyond furious at this point. A majority of the crowd had cheered her on for her victory but the others had told her that she was being too harsh and shouldn't have destroyed her gem like that. But Ruby was used to people not excepting her methods and she really hadn't meant to go too far; but she couldn't take it.

The way they got along so well, the blush on her pretty blue face at something he probably did to her. She sighed loudly, thinking back to how her eyes were glued to the way they interacted during her whole battle; she had taken her anger out on her foe and she regretted it.

"Way to be a heartless beast out their Rub's," Amethyst mumbled as she entered the sky box, her fellow gem sisters watched her carefully. "I mean I know you have an anger problem and that you want to be at a higher ranking but-"

"I don't care about the ranking!" She shouted.

All she cared about right now was that blue haired girl who she had yet to speak to.

She sighed, taking a seat in one of the folding chairs. "I didn't mean to do it, my anger always gets the best of me…"

"Don't worry about it Ruby we understand." Her friend Pearl spoke, giving her a soft understanding smile. "Amethyst was just being a jerk as always," Pearl glared at the purple gem.

Amethyst shrugged and patted the red girl on her fro. "Don't worry; Centipedal was a weak link anyway!"

"How about you and I take a walk?" Rose spoke up softly, she nodded at the other two gems. "I know you two have a battle to prepare for."

The chubby girl grinned. "Lapis is going down!" She looked at Pearl. "And then I'm going to take you down, weakling!"

"Tell that to the chart, I'm ranked higher than you," Pearl shot back.

Rose grabbed hold of Rubies arm and pulled her to the door. "Let's go, this will go on forever,"

Ruby followed the pink gem leader out to the sandy beach of Beach City, she led her toward the ocean which remained calm. Rose sat down on the beach and patted at the space beside her, the red gem shook her head.

"I should be getting back to my place, I've got some stuff to do in the real world." Ruby motioned behind her. "But you have fun,"

Rose looked at her and gave a soft nod. "Don't take it too hard Ruby, we've all lost control like that; you just need to learn how to control your furry."

"But how," She sighed angrily. "I've tried for years but nothing works."

Before the leader of the gems could respond a voice called to her from behind them.

"Rose! There you are," Ruby looked up to see Greg running towards them, two hotdogs in his hand. "I've been searching for you all day, I brought food-oh hey Ruby how's it going kid?"

Ruby smiled ruefully at the man. "Not so well, I've just been branded the gem crusher and my anger is getting worse…"

"Dang that's tough," The man smiled anyway, he always amazed her whenever he smiled during even the worse situations. "You know what they say; if every portchop was perfect we wouldn't have hotdogs!"

Rubies left eye twitched. "A-are you calling me a hotdog?"

"Nobody ever understands my metaphors," The large man sighed as he sat beside his lover, giving her the food. "I'm saying that if you were perfect, no anger or anything, then you wouldn't be you; Ruby. And I don't about you but, I think Ruby is pretty cool; anger and all."

Her heart fluttered as she looked at the two lovers sitting together, encouraging smiles on their faces; she looked away quickly. "Y-yeah whatever, I'll see you losers later."

Ruby turned away and began walking towards where her apartment was located. The four of them all shared one house but that was only for missions and such, but personally they all had places of their own where they resided in for personal matters.

The house they shared was also located on the beach but high up on a mountain with Roses figure sculpted into it, it was Pearls idea. Sometimes Ruby couldn't help but think that the skinny girl had a huge crush on the leader gem but whenever she brought it up Amethyst would always get angry, it was weird.

Ruby shook her head and cleared her thoughts as she approached the board walk on the beach, her house wasn't very far away and once she was home she could finally log off and forget about the blue haired girl. At least, that was her plan.

You see usually when you teleport from place to place there is no telling where and what you will land on. Ruby just so happened to be standing on someone's teleportation portal, a bright light shinned above her head and before she could move a body landed right on top of her back as they both fell to the floor.

Ruby lay on the hard wood floor of the board walk with someone sitting on top of her back, she felt her anger rise as she shoved them off of her; a silent yelp filling the air.

The red gem stood and dusted herself off, ready to glare at the novice teleporter. "Watch where the hell your going!" She shouted, only to close her mouth when she realized just who landed on her.

It was the same girl who was making her go crazy all day, the blue haired beauty named Sapphire. Ruby could feel the butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach, she had never felt like this before; she didn't know how to handle it. The girl was even more beautiful up close and she almost melted on the spot when her soft soothing voice filled the air.

"Sorry," Sapphire mumbled with a hint of sass as she fixed her bangs back over her eyes. "Just trying to find Beach City Apartments,"

Ruby felt her mouth move before she could even think of the words. "Don't stop talking," She whispered dreamily before covering it up quickly. "I mean, I know where it is!" She felt a blush rise to her face as she readjusted her tone. "I have a place over there too so,"

"You're blushing." Sapphire deadpanned.

Ruby felt her face get even hotter as she took a small step back. "Wh-what?"

"You're blushing," The blue girl repeated softly as she finally rose to her feet, Ruby cursed herself for not offering to help. "What are you embarrassed about?"

Ruby opened her mouth expecting to curse the woman out but she couldn't force herself to do it. "Everyone is getting on my case about smashing that stupid gem! I wish they would lay off,"

"Well I don't really care what the others say but I think you did pretty amazing," Sapphire sent her a soft smile.

Ruby sighed softly, and sent her a genuine smile as she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Well thanks, you did pretty amazing yourself," She grinned. "For a novice,"

"Haha," Sapphire giggled, lighting up the red girls mood in the process. "I didn't think you would be watching, you didn't really speak to me much when I sat next too you earlier."

"I just wanted to be alone at the time but I was totally watching, who do you think shouted for you to move your ass!"Ruby explained with a sharp grin.

Sapphire laughed loudly. "That was you? Thanks for helping me not to get killed, it was my first fight and I was really bad at it..."

"I thought you were amazing," Ruby whispered softly as another blush rose to her face, she nodded towards the end of the board walk. "I can show you the way to the apartments, I have one of my own."

Sapphire smiled softly. "Yeah that would be great, my parents are probably worried about me anyway."

Ruby didn't say anything to that and led her new companion to the Beach City Apartments where a few users resided, getting ready to log off as well. The red haired girl ordered a room for the blue girl, handing her the key once the payment was complete.

"You're room is right across from mine," Ruby smiled. "I can sh-"

"Sapphire!" Skinny arms wrapped around the blue girl, the brown haired boy hugged her close. "This is bad!"

Ruby growled as she watched the boy hug the blue beauty so close to him, she yanked him away from the girl with her strength. "What are you going on about lover boy?" She grunted out as she pushed the boy to the floor.

Sapphire shot a glare to Ruby and crossed her arms. "Don't be rude Ruby."

"Whatever," She glanced down at the teenager who was struggling to rise, he decided to remain on his knees as he glared at Ruby.

"I'm not here for you muscle woman!" He flinched when she pulled her fist back. "Sapphire stop her!" He tried to hide behind her but the blue girl pulled him to his feet with her speed.

She glared up at him through her blue bangs. "Lars please just tell me what's going on,"

"The log off button is gone!" He all but shouted as small tears welled up in his eyes. "I-I can't find it!"

Sapphire opened her mouth to calm him down but Ruby whispered beside her, red hands frozen as they scanned the menu bar. "H-he's right Sapphire," Bright red eyes made contact with her blue bangs.

"We can't log off."


	2. Family

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 2: Family**

Sapphire released Lars and he once again fell to the floor, she looked over at the red gem. "W-what?"

"It's gone Sapphire," Ruby whispered harshly. "Lover boy is right, we can't log off,"

The red haired gem took a deep breath before turning to walk away but Sapphire grabbed her hand quickly. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Rose, she was a beta tester before the game was released." She gently removed her hand from the blue beauty. "She should know what's going on, you should stay here and make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"We'll go with you-"

Ruby held her hand up. "No!" She snapped before taking a deep breath when she noticed Sapphire jump back at her outburst. "Just stay away from me alright,"

Sapphire took a step back next to Lars and watched as Ruby called to her menu bar as she prepared to teleport to this 'Rose' person. She was still shaken up about how upset the red girl seemed to be at her presence. She didn't understand. They were just getting along so well and now the girl was avoiding her like she had the black plaque. What had changed?

"Sapphire," Lars nudged her in the arm lightly, whispering softly. "Not that I'm scared or anything but what are we going to do now?"

The blue haired girl smiled softly. "We're going to see Rose of course,"

"But how?" Lars questioned. "I have no idea where she is and since she's number one we can't just look her up on the universe map."

Sapphire didn't speak as she grabbed his hand tightly, a smile reaching her face when a yellow light surrounded the red gem. "Ruby is going to take us there,"

In the blink of an eye, thanks to her speed, she had grabbed a hold of Rubies lean waist just as she had began to teleport. A bright light surrounded them and in only a few seconds they were zapped into what appeared to be a normal house; they had landed on a blue warp pad that sat in the living room.

Ruby gasped when she noticed that they had followed her, pushing them away as she turned to scowl at them. "Seriously? You had to resort to teleport hopping?"

"Well you didn't really give us much of a choice!" Lars shouted, standing protectively in front of Sapphire.

Ruby felt her stomach drop at the way he fought to protect the blue girl. It should be her and not him. Red eyes grew hot in anger at the thought of how he was trying to take what should belong to her.

Sapphire was her's to protect.

"Ruby it's about time you got here!" Ruby was broken from her anger when she noticed Pearl emerge from her room. "Rose was looking for…" She stopped when she spotted the two intruders. "Who are they! You know better than to allow strangers into our inner sanctum,"

The red gem growled angrily and faced the skinny girl with her fist bawled tightly. "I didn't Pearl, they totally teleport hopped me!"

"Whatever it doesn't matter now," She motioned for them to follow. "Rose wanted to talk to the top ten as well as all the known gems in this game," Her eyes glanced over at Sapphire at the mention of gems before she turned and opened the room door once more, they followed her inside.

The room was filled with puffy pink clouds and there were only seven people inside, all of whom happened to be part of the top ten list. The strongest players in the game were all gathered together in a circle as Rose spoke to them, although they all stopped what they were doing when the four of them walked in.

"Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence Ruby," Jasper rasped out, arms crossed with a scowl.

She rolled her eyes, deciding to stand next to Amethyst. "Bite me he-she,"

"Psst," Amethyst let out while holding her hands over her mouth as she tried not to laugh; patting Ruby on her fro a few seconds later. "Nice one Rub's,"

Sapphire took an unsure step forward to the large pink woman who stood in the middle or the circle which parted for her as she drew closer, she bowed her head lightly. "I'm sorry. I tricked Ruby and jumped onto her as she was teleporting, I just needed to get some answers…"

"Sapphire it's fine," Blue eyes widened behind blue bangs as her head shot up. "You're name can still be shown to anyone, I can show you how to hide it once you tap into your true power-"

"True power? Fuck true power!" Another blue gem stepped beside Rose, glaring up at her. "We're all trapped in this hell hole, I don't know about you but I want to get home to my family."

Rose nodded her head. "I understand how afraid you are Lapis but-"

"No I don't think you do! I need to get home now," She shouted.

A deep chuckle sounded in the room as Jasper stepped forward. Sapphire watched as the scene unfolded before her while Lars stood by her side and watched silently. The large gem by the name of Jasper caused chills to go down Sapphire's spine, and not the good ones. Something about this character gave her a nasty feeling.

Sapphire unconsciously moved closer to the red gem to her left.

Jasper stood next to Lapis. "Well since it seems like Rose Quarts doesn't know what she's doing-"

"-of course she knows what she's doing!" Pearl argued ready to fight for the pink woman's honor.

"I don't hear her saying much," Jasper laughed as Rose remained silent with her eyes narrowed at the heinous gem. "I for one have a plan for how to get out of here." Jasper called to his menu bar and revealed to them a large map.

"There are a total of fifty boss levels on this game, whenever you win against a boss your party is moved forward to the next level and you get stronger along the way." The map was moved to Beach City. "In Beach City the first boss level happens in a cave under the sea, I say the quicker we beat all these bosses the quicker we win the game and get out."

The map disappeared and they all stood in the cloudy room thinking over all of what Jasper had suggested. "Now I don't know what Rosie over here has planned but, follow me if you want to beat this game and get the hell out of here."

Without another word Jasper left the room with a few others following him on his way out. Amethyst mumbled an 'of course' as she watched Lapis, Peridot, and Centipedal follow Jasper; the door was slammed shut behind them.

Sapphire looked at the remanding players in the room; Rose, Lars, Pearl, the purple gem, a blonde haired girl, and Ruby. She smiled softly as she looked at the red girl who despite her anger bought a comforting feeling to her; she had made the right choice.

"Well Jasper was right about his plan and I was going to suggest that we also do the same thing," Rose looked at her remaining soldiers. "What he didn't inform them on is that there is a possibility that your body can die in the real world before we even make it to the final boss level,"

Ruby looked at Rose with dedication. "What do you suggest we do?"

A smile graced the pink gems face and she turned to Ruby. "We stick together. All of us,"

"Like a group or something?" Amethyst grumbled with her arms crossed.

"Not a group," Rose corrected. "A family. We all protect each other and trust one another; it is the only way that we will all make it out in time…"

The remaining players stood and thought about what Rose had just told them. The only way to get out way by working together and trusting each other. Sapphire didn't think she could do it. She had only met these people a few hours prior and now she was expected to just trust them?

Sapphire looked at the way Ruby stared at the pink gem with faith and trust. The blue gem had never been a big fan faith even when she was little. At a very young age when her sight had began to slip away her parents had told her to have faith that it would be returned.

Look how well that worked out.

"Yeah family hug!" Amethyst shouted as she yanked Ruby and Pearl into a tight hug.

Sapphire watched the blue gem blush a deep shade of blue as she struggled in the hug. Was the purple gem making her embarrassed like Lars had explained to her hours ago? She really needed to learn how to read people better.

"Let go of me this instant!" Pearl argued not putting up much of a fight.

Sapphire could have sworn she saw a small crack on Pearl's lips. Maybe a smile?

Ruby smiled uncharacteristically and pulled Pearl even closer to the middle just as Amethyst was doing. "You know you love us sis!"

"Not you too Ruby," Pearl shouted as she struggled. "Of all the times for you to be in your rare good moods,"

Sapphire felt something tug at her heart as she watched the three interact like family. She had never had anything like that at her home in the real world. Being blind meant that she had to miss out on a lot of things and it made her relationship with her brother weak.

They never had those early Saturday morning spent watching television on the couch or even playing together at the park. Her mother had always been so cautious with her; it was as if she were made of glass.

In a way she felt that her brother blamed her for them not being close and he proved that by hiding away in his room for years. She only talked with him at dinner; barely.

She had always wanted a family to be close with.

"Hey losers," Ruby shouted as she mainly looked at Sapphire. "You're part of our family too so get in here."

Rose smiled from the side and watched as the normally angry gem invited the others into the hug. She knew how rare it was when Ruby was in a good mood and when she was you had to make every second count.

They finally loosened their grip on Pearl and created a hole in their love fest; inviting the other three to join.

"No way-"Lars began but was forcibly pushed in by the blonde haired girl; he groaned. "Sadie!"

Sadie shrugged and stood beside Lars in the small circle. Sapphire cautiously walked in and took her spot between Ruby and Sadie.

She felt strong hands rest on her side as Ruby pulled her in close, the gem smiled at her. "We're all a family…" The gem broke eye contact and looked at her crowd; Sapphire's eyes remained glued to the red gem. "And family means nobody gets left behind."

Ruby glanced at Sapphire once more before removing herself from the hug. "Okay that's enough! What's our first move Rose?"

"Wow fifteen seconds," Pearl mumbled sarcastically. "That's a new record Ruby."

Ruby shrugged as they all moved a respectable distance from one another and turned to their leader in charge. Rose nodded at the red gem before she called for the universe map. Beach City appeared.

"Jasper was right about where the first boss level will be; the bottom of the ocean." She spoke soft and stern. "For now I suggest that we move our party there and fight our way to the boss; we should move out now."

Pearl listened intently and nodded every once and a while. "I agree,"

"Now I know that our group isn't very large yet but that will change when we recruit others," She closed her universe map. "So in the meantime you will be split into pairs based on your skill and ability; how well you go together."

"Pearl you are of very high skill," Pearl smiled proudly. "You're with Amethyst." She deadpanned.

Amethyst rolled her eyes when Pearl groaned loudly. "It's not that awful," She muttered with her arms crossed.

"Lars and Sadie," She continued.

The brown haired boy held back a groan; he wanted to be Sapphire's partner. Sadie didn't look too thrilled about them being paired up either; her face was a bright red.

 _'She must really not like him…'_ Sapphire thought.

"And finally," She smiled knowingly. "Sapphire and Ruby."

Ruby held her head up proudly and couldn't help but jump for joy inside her head. Finally she would get a chance to explore this, relationship that was forming. Not to mention that she would actually be the one protecting Sapphire and not that idiot with the saggy ears.

Red eyes looked over to blue bangs. The girl stood looking as calm and collected as usual.

Ruby wished she knew what was going on in her mind.

* * *

Once everyone understood the plan they had all teleported to the underwater dome of Beach City. The clear bubble gave them a perfect view of the wildlife that lived under the beautiful water; Sapphire had never seen anything like it.

"It's amazing," She whispered as she tried to memorize the scenery with a deep understanding that she may never see it again when they got out of the game.

Ruby nodded. "One of the best places to be in this game," She smiled softly. "It's funny really; I've never liked water but here it's different…It's beautiful."

Sapphire looked at the red gem who seemed to understand her so well. "That's exactly what I was thinking,"

"Yea-Ouch!" Ruby snatched her finger away from the inside of her pockets. "Wha-"

Sapphire was quick to aid her as they stopped walking; the group continuing on without them. "What's wrong?"

"That's weird," Ruby whispered as she looked at her bleeding finger.

"What's weird?" Sapphire spoke calmly.

Ruby hesitated before she shook her head. "N-never mind it's nothing; we better hurry and catch up with the group."

Sapphire made an attempt to disagree but the red gem grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Ruby tried to calm her breathing but she couldn't help but wonder about her suddenly bleeding finger. A quick flash back rolled into the red girls mind.

* * *

_"Finally a new game that is worth playing," A black girl with short puffy hair muttered as she examined the game box._

_The sound of shouting filled her ears; she hated it. Her parents always argued day in and day out, which are normal for most parents' right? Well at least it is when they aren't arguing about how they never even wanted children, let alone a gay girl who lived in a Christian household. If they wanted her they sure as hell didn't show it._

_Jasmine just wanted to get away from it all; thus the idea of a role playing game._

_With another deep sigh she grabbed a knife from her dresser and began to cut the tape that held the box together. She flinched when she accidentally cut the tip of her finger with the sharp blade._

_"Shit," She muttered as she felt her anger grow; she threw the knife across the room in her rage. "Stupid fucking knife…"_

_Jasmine watched as her finger began to bleed. "Whatever," She placed the game into the system and put her head gear on._

_She just needed to escape for a few hours…_

* * *

Ruby was freaking out inside. She had cut herself hours ago but that was outside of the game so why was she bleeding inside the game? The red gem wished she could vent to Sapphire but she didn't want to startle the girl.

She was the one who was supposed to protect her and not show how fearful she was. It just wasn't part of her character. Everyone knew her as strong and short tempered not weak and fearful.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Ruby lashed out at the girl as she finally replaced her fear with anger. "I said I'm fine."

Sapphire sighed as the girl released their hands once they were with the group. They had reached the end of the dome and a large door lie at the end of it.

"Prepare yourselves and make sure you have each others back," Rose pulled out her shield and pushed the door open.

It creaked softly and a dark room was revealed to them; they all carefully made their way inside.

Lars held his sword close to him as he stood protectively beside Sadie; she also had her stick weapon in hand. Pearl and Amethyst remained apart but not too far and kept looking around for any sudden movement.

Ruby was standing still with her iron fist extracted; Sapphire was the same with her iron fist as well.

The door shut behind them all and the floor suddenly glowed a bright red color. The sudden lighting revealed a large red monster in the shape of a sea worm; sharp teeth eating at bright red grass.

It paid them all no mind as smaller creatures just like it attacked at them; shooting bursts of sound in their direction.

"You all take care of the smaller gems and make a path for me," Rose retracted a pink sword from her forehead to match her shield. "I'll take care of the boss."

Amethyst was the first to move as she retracted her magic whip from her bosom. "Ha you don't have to tell me twice!"

"Amethyst we need to form a plan!" Pearl shouted as she tried to catch up with the purple gem who was destroying creatures left and right.

Lars and Sadie were the second ones to move into action. The brown haired boy used his blue sword to crack the tiny gems on the worm like creatures and Sadie stabbed them in the back with her spear like stick.

Sapphire and Ruby stood still for a few minutes before the blue gem spoke up. "So I guess we should-"

The red gem jumped into action and punched a worm that tried to attack her; its gem shattered and it disappeared into thin air. "Just stay out of the way," Ruby muttered as she went on to the next creature.

The blue gem simply raised an eyebrow.

The blue girl sped through the battle field and aimed for every gem in sight; cracking their stones. Sapphire knew that with her speed she could weaken twice the amount of gems as the others but with her strength low it would take more time to destroy them. She admired how Ruby knew what her own limit was and how well she used it during battle. No matter how rude the gem was to her she had to admit that Ruby had skill.

With her speed and Ruby's strength the girl couldn't help but think that they'd be better if they actually worked together.

A bright light suddenly hit her vision and the creature she was fighting was suddenly released, Sapphire held her head as she fell to her knees.

* * *

_She felt weird…Like she was in perfect peace but also in a foreign place of which she held no understanding. And she was taller, like way taller._

_Her arms were long and skinny but Sapphire knew they were surely strong. The girl struggled to stand on new legs and began to explore her body._

_"What's going on?" Sapphire froze._

_That defiantly wasn't her voice…If she had time to freak out she would but right now her friends were in danger and they need her help._

* * *

Ruby had just finished clearing a path for Rose; most of the creatures were destroyed and now all they had to do was sit back and let the pink women work her magic.

The red gem felt a little pain in her heart for the way she snapped at Sapphire; again. She just didn't understand. Sure she has an anger problem but she never yells at Pearl and Amethyst as much as she does the blue girl. She never really gets angry at others just the situations going on around her and she had no right to yell at the blue girl.

"Where is she anyway?" Ruby whispered as she fully prepared herself to give the girl formal apology. "Oh no,"

Her eyes grew wide as she watched the blue girl hold her head in what appeared to be agony. One of the worms had slipped away from her sight and was now advancing to Sapphire. Its tail stood erect in the air as it readied it's strike.

A sharp cry woke Sapphire from her trance, she looked up. It looked as if they had won because the large worm was no longer in the room. She frowned.

Then why did it seem like they had lost?

The entire group was staring at her, or near her, with pale white faces. She even expected Lars to crack some dirty joke but his face was stone cold. Rose was shouting something and Amethyst was freaking out and waving her hands in the air. Pearl looked as if all hope was lost, she tried to stop her tears; but Sapphire saw them anyway.

Something wet and damp dripped onto her face.

"Wha-" She started as she wiped it off with her fingers.

It was blood.

Not just any blood, her eyes widened so large that she was sure that her bangs couldn't hide them.

It was Ruby's blood.

The red girl in question stood tall with her arms stretched far, protecting Sapphire. The sharp tail from the worm had pierced her side; which should be fine it is just a game right? The least that could happen is that her energy level would go down to eighty. Her energy bar did in fact fall but so did the fresh and very real looking blood from her now gushing side.

"No no no…" The calm gem was now erratic as she whispered that word over and over.

Rose destroyed the worm and the sharp tail was removed from Ruby's side; she fell forward. The pink gem held the smaller girl in her arms.

"Sapphire…" The red gem struggled to speak with the shooting pain. "I'm s-sorry,"

The red gem then closed her eyes and took refuge in the arms of her leader.

"Pearl snap out of it and get Sapphire somewhere safe," Rose called to her menu bar and looked at Amethyst. "Come with me back to the temple so we can help her,"

For once the purple gem spoke no words and did exactly what she was told. In the blink of an eye they were both teleported out.

Pearl quickly wiped the tears from her face and removed her eyes from the spots of blood on the floor. "Sadie and Lars go back to the temple and don't do anything until Rose gives us orders."

Both teenagers followed her instructions and got ready to teleport. Lars looked at the blue girl who was still in a much deserved shock before leaving with the blonde girl.

Sapphire couldn't think straight. All she could see in her mind was deep crimson red drops falling on her face and a high pitched scream filling her ears. She sat in fetal position as she looked at her shaky hands; she was a mess.

She heard a soft voice in the distance that was probably Pearl's but the only voice she wanted to hear was probably gone right now.

Ruby was still hurt. She needed to make sure that she was okay.

"Sapphire are you okay?"

The blue girl shook her head and rose to her feat. "Pearl I need to make sure that she's okay-"

"No. Rose told me to keep you away for a while," The taller girl got ready to teleport. "I know the perfect place we can go to."

Pretty much against her will; Sapphire was dragged with Pearl to another area in the game. She didn't know where she was but she knew that they were in a large van.

Inside the van were large posters of random unknown bands and pictures; one picture was of Rose and an overweight man with long brown hair. There were also many types of swords displayed in cases around the room. They all had price tags on them.

"Is this the place that Lars told me about?" Sapphire glared at Pearl in frustration. "I don't need a new weapon; I need to see if Ruby is okay!" She had lost every shred of patience in her body.

Pearl rolled her eyes and sighed. "I liked you so much better when you were quiet and calm," She looked around the large room and shouted. "Greg!"

"Yo," A deep voice replied as the man from the pictures entered the van; a work apron tied around his waist. "Pearl how's it going?" He looked over at Sapphire in curiosity.

"Never seen you around these parts," He whipped his hands off on his fabric and held his hand out. "The name is Greg and you are?"

Taking a much needed deep breath to calm down she quickly shook his hand. "Sapphire,"

"Uh," Greg mumbled.

Pearl shook her head. "We were fighting a boss and things got a little problematic."

"I see." He turned serious and motioned to his work table where two chairs resided. "You ladies take a quick seat while I fix us up some port chops,"

Sapphire felt her eyebrow twitch in frustration. Why are they eating at a time like this?

She felt a soft hand on her shoulder; Pearl was smiling down at her. "Trust me; you're going to thank me later when you taste his cooking…" The gem took a seat and crossed her legs. "Besides I think you need a break,"

"I…" She finally nodded in defeat. "Okay."

She had to trust her family and have faith in them to take care of Ruby and herself as well. Sapphire finally calmed down and smiled softly at Pearl.

"I'll trust you,"


	3. Trust

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 3: Trust**

It was a sight to see. Greg had prepared them a five star dinner in a matter a minutes; port chops, corn on the cob, and barbeque ribs. Sapphire had never tasted anything so delicious before and it brought a smile to her face.

She had a strong feeling that Ruby would be an eater…

Her fork dropped onto her plate at the thought of the gem that had thoughtlessly saved her life; she pushed her food away. She had lost her appetite.

"I'll pack a few to-go plates for you guys to take back to the temple," Greg sat across from them with a serious expression. "Now onto other matters; what happened on the mission?"

Pearl wiped her mouth when she finished her meal and glanced over at Sapphire. The girl had finally calmed down and she didn't want her to have another episode. The skinny girl could just imagine all the scenarios going on in that mind of hers.

"It's okay," She noticed the girl's stare from the corner of her eye. "I'm fine now."

Pearl nodded apprehensively before looking back to the brown haired male. "You're aware of the situation with us not being able to log off, correct?"

Greg sighed softly and looked away with a frown. "Yeah, who the heck isn't?"

"Well in addition to that horrendous fact," She tightened her fist and glared at the hard wood table. "It turns out that you may actually be able to be killed within the game as well,"

Sapphire whipped her head to look at Pearl; eyes wide in fear. Nobody said anything about death! Well she had considered it but she didn't want to believe that it was true. In the real world if you're stabbed you could bleed out and god now that she thought of it Ruby had lost a lot of blood.

She felt her sanity slipping away again; she needed Ruby.

Pearl didn't have the courage to face Sapphire and Greg as she went on. "During our mission Ruby was stabbed in the side while trying to protect Sapphire and we thought it would be fine because what's twenty percent of you health points right?" She swallowed thickly as she felt her eyes heat up; tears were forming again.

"A-and then we saw blood dripping," She chocked on a sob. "And we thought graphics can't be that good and when we removed the tail she passed out onto Rose…" Pearl finally broke down and Sapphire had to fight not to break down with her. "She's like a sister to me she can't-"

Greg rubbed his red eyes. "Hey its okay, Rose knows what she is doing…" He paused before looking around the inside of his van. "I'm guessing that Rose will call you guys when you're due back so in the meantime why don't you guys get some sleep; it's getting dark out."

Sapphire glanced outside the car window and looked at the bright stars in the sky. They were as beautiful as the water in the undersea dome and she couldn't help but wonder if Ruby would feel the same.

The man had told Pearl to sleep in his bed which was surprisingly clean and allowed Sapphire to rest on the pull out couch. Greg told them that he had a lot of weapons to prepare and that he would get some sleep in the morning.

She could hear the occasional sound of metal hitting metal from her spot on the couch. She lay on her back with her arms behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling. Sapphire was sure she had memorized the pattern perfectly by now.

The blue gem sighed in defeat.

"Can't sleep?" A voice startled her and she looked up to see Greg leaning on kitchen door.

Sapphire, still cautious of the man, nodded firmly. "Yeah I've got a lot on my mind."

"When I can't sleep I like to tinker a little bit," He motioned for her to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you how to make a sword."

Sapphire lay on the couch for a minute as she considered following the man. She didn't want to make a stupid sword but she had a feeling that she wouldn't see Ruby for quite some time. With a soft sigh she climbed out of the warm covers and went in the direction of which Greg had gone.

She opened the door that led outside of the van and saw the brown haired man sitting in a wooden chair. In front of him was a small wooden table with a large iron hammer; she took a seat next to him.

"So, before I can make you a sword I need to know your fighting style." He smiled softly at her. "You're a gem right? What kind of power ups do you have?"

"I have an iron fist," She motioned to the gem in her right hand. "And I had a sword but I decided to toss it away because it didn't seem very useful to me during my first battle."

Flashbacks of her dingy sword getting thrown into the sandy floor of the arena filled her mind.

Greg nodded thoughtfully. "Well you can't always rely on your gem so how about I make you a powerful sword that will make all the other players jealous?"

"It doesn't really matter to me," Sapphire looked down at her blue hands in thought. "Even if I had a proper sword it still doesn't change the fact that I don't know how to use it."

Greg shrugged. "That's why we have arena battles kid; to learn how to use your weapons well."

"I guess you're right," She sighed; still not in the mood to make a sword.

He noticed this and quickly went on. "But before I can make your weapon I will need something strong like an ice crystal." He called to his menu bar and pulled up a map of yet another unknown area to her. "This is called the ice kingdom and here they have large ice like crystals everywhere. Their strong cell structure makes for amazing shields and swords."

"How about you head over there and pick up a few of them?" His map went away and he smiled at her. "Nobody in the game knows that you can make swords from ice crystals and you'd be the only person with a sword or shield of such strength."

She considered getting herself a sword to replace the one that she had tossed away. Then maybe if she had the proper weapon she could protect herself and not have others get hurt for her mistakes. Sapphire couldn't help but think that if Ruby had the proper shield then she wouldn't be injured.

"Can I get you to make me a shield and a sword?" The blue girl asked.

Greg smiled at her sudden interest. "As long as you get me enough crystals,"

"Then I'll go," Sapphire stood from her seat. "It's called the ice kingdom right?"

He nodded. "Yeah it shouldn't be that hard to find," Greg then sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "Just uhn, try to get back before Pearl notices that you're gone; she doesn't want you to leave."

Sapphire rolled her eyes. Of course sweet Pearl thought she was too fragile to be left alone. It was like they all thought she was suicidal and would cut herself the minute she was left alone.

"Then why are you letting me go," She snapped as she suddenly lost her temper.

That was happening a lot now that Ruby wasn't around. It was like she was taking over and making all the smart remarks for the red girl in her absence.

"It seems like you can use a break," He smiled sadly. "You're not the only one who cares about her Sapphire." The blue girl finally looked at the man.

And this time she actually saw him.

He was just as much as a mess as Pearl and her were. He wasn't crying but there were large bags under his now red eyes. He was still smiling and even though she didn't know him very well; she felt like it was fake.

"Ruby is like a daughter to me," Greg chuckled softly. "On rare occasions when Rose isn't around she actually comes to me with her problems and asks me for help. Me of all people!" He continued to laugh ruefully. "The screw up,"

He looked to the ground as Sapphire listened quietly. "But she doesn't see me as a screw up. In a way she and I are just a like," He smiles. "We are both outsiders who are judged; here and in the real world."

"Trust me when I say this," He looked over at Sapphire. "I know that Ruby can be a little bit short tempered at times,"

' _A little?'_  Sapphire thought sarcastically.

"But she cares," Greg smiles softly. "She just has a hard time showing it."

Of course she cared. She literally risked her own life to save Sapphire. At first she thought that the girl was just being mean to spite her but it turns out that she doesn't know the red girl as much as she wish she did.

Sapphire promised to change that once she was able to see the girl again.

"Thank you Greg," She smiled genuinely. "I can see why Ruby goes to you for advice-" Sapphire paused and sheepishly grinned. "Sorry if I seem a little impatient,"

The word itself seemed foreign on her tongue.

"I'm not usually like this but Ruby…" She chuckled. "Let's just say she gets a reaction out of me."

Greg laughed along with her. "I think she does that to all of us Sapphire,"

The blue girl smiled in response and called to her menu bar. Pale fingers typed in the directions and with one more gesture to the man; a bright light appeared.

She was gone.

* * *

Sapphire landed softly on the snow white terrain which was the ice kingdom. Her warm breath could be seen in the chilly air. She tugged her jacket closer to her and began walking in ankle deep snow.

She felt like slapping herself for believing a man wearing sandals. There were no crystals in sight; just piles of snow that went on forever.

"Why did I believe that guy?" She grumbled. "He lives in a van for peat sake!"

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. It wasn't like her to be so arrogant and hot headed and to tell the truth; she hated it. She just wanted to be able to clear her head again and become the calm girl that she once was.

Sapphire didn't know how Ruby could be so short tempered; lashing out on anything and everything. It was awful but it allowed her to see things the way the red girl could.

"That's it," She looked around the snowy land. "If I can't be calm right now then I'll just be impulsive," Sapphire closed her eyes. "What would Ruby do?"

When she opened her eyes she felt her right hand flexing into a fist. Sapphire's gem glowed and in the blink of an eye the pink iron fist was created. Blue eyes scanned the deserted terrain before they spotted a hallow spot on the floor.

"Here goes nothing," Sapphire pulled her fist back and then forward as it collided to the snowy floor.

A loud cracking sound echoed through the Ice Kingdom and the punctured area began to crack. It collapsed under the pressure of heavy broken ice and it caved in.

A large hole was created in the aftermath.

Sapphire retracted her gem weapon and impulsively peered through the newly created hole. A gasp sounded from her mouth when an underground cave was revealed to her. Inside were millions of ice crystals caved into the floors and walls.

They were an assortment of many different colors from blue, green, purple, yellow and many more.

"I can see why she is so impulsive now," Sapphire smiled. "It gets things done a lot faster…"

She took a step back from the hole before she ran back to it with her speed. Sapphire jumped into the air quickly before she went flying down into the cave. She landed gracefully on the crystal coated floor.

The blue girl decided to go with a blue crystal and a red crystal. She tried using her fist to break the hard structure but true to his word; there wasn't a scratch on it. At least Greg was telling the truth about something.

Sapphire sighed and ran her hands through her blue locks. "How am I supposed to move this back to the van if it won't even budge?"

At first she tried to think like the red girl again but she had a feeling that it wouldn't work this time. This one was all on her and she needed to be patient so she could think of her possibilities.

Using her foresight was also out of the question. After it distracted her in their last battle and gotten Ruby stabbed; she had sworn to never use it again.

"Please just move or something," She placed both of her hands on the crystals and held her head down.

Was something glowing?

She paused. But she was pretty sure that she hadn't called to her weapon or to teleport; so why was there a bright pink light?

Her head lifted up in search of the light. That's weird. Since when could she bubble objects in this game?

"Whoa," She smiled as she looked at the two ice crystals that were now light as air. "Now how do I take this back to Greg's van…"

As if following her command the bubble was gone in the blink of an eye. Shortly after the words 'transportation to Greg's van was a success' floated in the air.

"I hope so," Sapphire mumbled as she got ready to teleport back to his van.

Now she was suddenly ready to go to sleep.

* * *

She landed safely on the outside of Greg's van.

"You're back," He smiled. "And don't worry I got the two crystals that you sent over but before I start I need to ask a few questions."

Sapphire held back a groan as she sat across from the man, she rubbed her heavy eyes. "Alright,"

"Don't worry it will be quick," Greg placed the bubbled blue ice crystal on his work desk and then removed the bubble; a large bang sounded at the contact when it landed. "What do you want the blue crystal to be? A shield or a sword,"

Still feeling drowsy she muttered softly. "The sword will be red and the shield will be blue," Sapphire couldn't hold back her yawn this time as she leaned her head on his work table.

"Got it kid," Greg pulled out a weird green glowing hammer. "This is a diamond hammer which is the only thing that can wield ice crystals. I'm going to use this to put pressure on the crystals which will th-"

A light snore filled the air.

"Ugh Sapphire," He tapped her shoulder lightly but for a small girl she was a heavy sleeper; he smiled. "I'll have this ready when you wake up,"

The sound of his car door opening suddenly filled his ears. He looked up to see Pearl now wide awake. She walked over to him and looked at Sapphire with a small smile.

"I knew you would be able to get her to calm down," Pearl fixed the blue bangs that were now out of place. "Rose just called and told me that I can bring Sapphire back but now I think that we should wait until she wakes up."

Greg agreed. "Yeah, she needs the rest," He motioned for her to sit beside him; she followed his command. "While I work on this how about you tell me what Rose told you," The man looked back at his work. "I haven't really spoken to her with everything that is going on."

"Ruby is well, I know that is what you were thinking," Pearl looked away. "We all were,"

She continued. "Rose was able to stop the bleeding and then she used her healing abilities to patch Ruby up. Even though she is healed, Rose wrapped her up in the event that she is sore, but she needs her rest."

"Is she awake now?" Greg chuckled. "If she is I can imagine her fighting against Amethyst to get out of her bed,"

Pearl shook her head with a smile as she looked back at the blue gem. "She was until Rose told her to get some sleep,"

"And before that?" He also looked at Sapphire's sleeping form.

Pearl smirked knowingly. "She wouldn't shut up about her,"

"Same thing on my side," He chuckled softly before letting out a sigh. "I'm glad she is alright though."

The skinny girl nodded in agreement. "Once Sapphire wakes up we will leave,"

"That sounds good but make sure that she sees me before she leaves." When she gave him a questioning look he scratched his neck. "I uhm, have some food leftover and she seemed to really like it so…"

Pearl merely nodded, still apprehensive, and picked Sapphire up. Leaving Greg outside to tinker Pearl gently place Sapphire on the couch and surrounded her with blankets. With one final look the skinny girl made her way to the kitchen.

Sapphire wasn't the only one who could get some leftovers.

* * *

A bright light met her vision and she held back the urge to groan. She was in a room lying down in someone's bed. Red eyes looked down to see green blankets; it was her bed and her room.

"What-" She tried to sit up but a sharp pain pierced her right side and she let out a scream. "Shit!"

Purple hands pushed her down forcefully. "Sit back down Rub's," Amethyst said as she looked her over. "Rose was able to heal you but you're still going to be sore for a while,"

Her head was spinning and her thoughts were all over the place. She couldn't think straight. Everything was blurry and she couldn't seem to make sense of anything.

"Wh-what's going on Amethyst?" Ruby looked to her friend for answers. "Why am I in bed and why is my side wrapped up?" She poked her side and groaned at the sharp pain. "And why does it hurt like hell?"

The girl looked at her as if she had three eyes. "You seriously don't remember?" When Ruby shook her head Amethyst sighed.

"We were fighting a boss and you totally saved Sapphire by taking a stab in your side," She smirked. "It was totally bad ass and I would have high fived you but you were bleeding a lot and you passed out,"

Amethyst looked down at her hands. "Rose and I took you to her healing fountain as quick as possible and luckily we made it on time; after that we took you back here."

Ruby listened intently as her eyes widened at certain parts. "We thought you were dead but you were just sleeping for a really long time." The purple girl suddenly laughed. "I knew you were alive when you kept mumbling Sapphire's name; you've got it bad."

She would have blushed if it were not for her blood loss and the scenes unfolding before her eyes. She remembered everything now. The worms and the way that Sapphire held her head in pain. Ruby recalled how she couldn't feel anything when she was stabbed. All she could do was try to apologize to the blue girl.

It was all her fault.

Her temper, once again, had caused her to get someone hurt. Even after the speech that Rose had given them about not leaving each other's side, Ruby still retreated to her shell and pushed Sapphire away in a fit of rage. She hated herself for letting it take control of her again.

None of this would have happened if she would have just fought alongside with Sapphire. Her heart melted when she looked back on how graceful the girl had looked during battle. With her speed Sapphire had gotten to the worms quicker. With Ruby's strength they could have destroyed them faster. Ruby had a feeling that they would be a good team.

Speaking of the blue girl…

"Where's Sapphire?" She questioned. "A-and where are the others?"

Rose then entered the room with a soft smile. "Don't worry Ruby. They are all well; Lars and Sadie are sitting in the living room and I told Pearl to take Sapphire somewhere safe."

"But…" Ruby looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry. I keep messing up,"

Amethyst tried to reach out to the girl but Rose motioned for her to leave. With one more glance at the red gem she was gone.

Rose took the seat that the purple girl was on previously. "No it's not. If it wasn't for you then Sapphire might not be alive right now-"

"But I should have been watching her!" Ruby argued as she held back tears. "I let my anger-"

Rose held her hand and the girl stopped talking. "Your anger had nothing to do with this. Sapphire is fine because you saved her," She smiled. "That's all you have to know."

"Where is she? When can I see her?" Ruby asked.

"Soon," Rose finally stood up. "I just told Pearl to bring her back but in the meantime you should try to get some sleep."

Without another word the pink gem had walked out the room. Ruby sat back and looked up at the ceiling.

She groaned. "How can I sleep at a time like this?"

* * *

When Sapphire woke up Pearl was towering over her with arms crossed. "We can go back now,"

She had never moved so fast before in her life. Sapphire began to teleport when Pearl placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"I'm going to head back to the temple and you can do the same," She pointed to the door. "But Greg wants to see you before you leave."

Sapphire sighed softly as she walked outside. A bright light shined behind her as Pearl teleported back to the temple.

The blue girl stood stiffly next to Greg. "You wanted to see me?"

"Feast your eyes on your finished sword and shield." The large man pulled out a red sword that sparkled in the light along with a transparent light blue shield. "It took all night but I finally finished it kid."

He smiled. "I hope you find it of good use."

"They're amazing!" She exclaimed as she ran her fingers over the wielded crystal. "It feels so smooth; I bet it could slice anything!"

Greg smiled fondly as he watched her place the ruby red sword in its proper holder behind her back. He held the shield up.

"This is the cool thing about the shield. If you click this button it turns in a bracelet that wraps around your arm," He demonstrated and watched it transform. "Then whenever you need it just give the string a tug and it's a shield again!"

The blue girl smiled and put the bracelet into her pocket. "This really means a lot Greg."

"Anytime kid," He smirked. "Tell Ruby I wish her well and make sure you give her some of the leftovers I packed you; she loves my cooking!"

She got ready to teleport. "I'll give her the message."

A bright light appeared and then she was gone.

* * *

"I hope she's okay." Sadie whispered from her spot on the couch beside Lars.

The brown haired boy crossed his arms. "Rose said she was fine alright! Just relax, Ruby is tough anyway," He said thoughtfully. "She would never go out that easily."

"You're right…" Sadie smiled.

The warp pad then turned on and Lars moved away from Sadie and to Sapphire. The blonde hair girl dropped her smile and looked to the floor.

Lars opened his arms for a hug. "Sapphire are yo-"

A soft 'not now' filled the air as a large gust of wind hit his empty arms. Sapphire had used her speed to find her way to Ruby's room.

"Rejected!" Amethyst shouted from the kitchen.

Lars blushed brightly as Sadie and Pearl giggled softly in the background; he folded his arms. "Yeah whatever she just needs some space from you losers,"

The purple gem shook her head as she picked at her macaroni and cheese. "Nahh she just needs some boo loving time,"

"Amethyst!" Pearl shouted with a blush on her face.

Sapphire could hear the skinny girls shout from her spot outside Ruby's door. The blue girl took a long deep breath before she slowly pushed the door open.

She had never been the in the other girls room before and it didn't really fit her. There were no pictures on the white walls. There was just a bed.

"I keep my stuff at my apartment on the other side of the beach," Sapphire looked up to see Ruby sitting up in bed. "This room is just for missions and…Injures I guess." She chuckled awkwardly.

When Sapphire didn't say anything thing the red gem tried again. "Look Sapphire I'm so-"

Ruby felt another sharp pain in her side but it was a pain she could bare. Sapphire was hugging her tightly from her spot on the edge of the bed. The red gem held back a groan as the pain increased when Sapphire pulled her closer.

"…" Ruby sat stiffly with her hands flat on the bed.

She didn't know what to do with herself. She was such a mess when it came to showing others affection.

"…" Sapphire mumbled incoherently into her shoulder.

The warm breath ghosting over her exposed skin caused a shudder. "I-I…" Ruby coughed. "What was that Sapph?"

"I thought you were dead." Sapphire placed her chin on the girls shoulder. "I thought you were gone for good,"

Finding her voice Ruby chuckled softly. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Her laugh died in her throat when she felt hot drops of water fall down her shoulder. Was Sapphire crying?

Ruby glanced at her anxiously in an attempt to calm the girl down.

"Please," Sapphire whispered through her tears. "Please don't scare me like that again."

Her eyes widened and she felt her hands twitch from their spot on the bed. The girl was worrying about her this whole time? Ruby thought that Sapphire would be angry with her for letting things get out of hand.

Ruby hesitantly wrapped her strong arms around Sapphire's waist and pulled her closer. She breathed in the scent of her lavender conditioner when she placed her chin on top of blue locks.

"I promise." Ruby whispered. "I'm so sorry. I was supposed to have your back but I just pushed you away." She took a breath. "Then all of a sudden I look up ready to apologize but the worm was about to attack you an-"

Sapphire interrupted her. "You saved my life."

"No," A red blush coats her cheeks as she shakes her head. "It never should have happened in the first place. If I would have just…"

Ruby has to hold back a whimper when Sapphire pulls away from their hug. The blue girl sits on her knees.

She grabs Ruby's chin so she is looking up. "Ruby, you saved me." She wipes her own tears away. "It wasn't your fault okay? So just do me a favor and please stop blaming yourself,"

"The only thing that matters is that you are safe." Sapphire smiled.

Still a little bit unsure, Ruby nodded with her lip caught in between her teeth. "Yeah,"

"Ruby," Red eyes looked back up. "Why didn't you just tell me that your finger was bleeding instead of hiding it from me?"

Ruby expected to look up and find the girl angry with her but she showed nothing but patience and understanding. She looked to the floor.

She played with her hands. "I didn't want to scare you I guess. Rose assigned me to protect you and I didn't want you to have doubts about it." She chuckles ruefully. "It's stupid really,"

"No it isn't." Sapphire grabbed her hand. "You just need to understand that we both are a team now, a family actually. That means we both protect each other okay?"

Ruby nodded. "Okay,"

"We also fight together too," Sapphire looked into red eyes. "And whenever something is happening I want you to tell me, so no secrets."

The red gem agreed to her terms. Sapphire had never seen the girl so calm and understanding before. She wasn't jumping to conclusions or trying to hide her feelings.

She was actually opening up to her and it felt amazing.

The blue gem pushed Ruby softly. "You actually care about me," Sapphire smirked. "You're not so tough; you're just a big softie…"

Ruby's heart melted again as she whispered. "Only for you,"

"What was that?"

The red gems cheeks flared and she crossed her arms. "N-nothing,"

"Don't worry," Sapphire smirked playfully as she poked the girl in the arm. "Your secret of being a complete softie is safe with me."

Ruby laughed. "What a relief." She muttered sarcastically.

They sat in a comfortable silence. Ruby busied herself by teasing the wraps around her side while Sapphire slapped her hand away from time to time. She didn't want to have the red girl unraveling them.

"Oh yeah," The red girl broke the silence and looked at Sapphire. "During the battle before I saw the worm about to attack you,"

The blue girl nodded.

"Well you looked like you were in pain," Ruby played with her hands again. "You were holding your head. Were you having a bad headache or something?"

Sapphire looked away. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hide it forever; she just thought Rose would be the first to confront her about it.

"They aren't exactly headaches…" She hesitated.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "No more secrets," She reminded.

"No more secrets." She swallowed thickly. "I haven't really told anyone this but…I've sort of been having these weird future visions." Sapphire sighed. "I don't really understand them,"

Ruby remained open minded. "Visions?" She asked. "Maybe they're part of your powers in the game."

"But why?"

The red gem shrugged. "You said that you're blind in real life so maybe just like how you are able to see, you are also given foresight? It's a weird theory but…"

"No it makes sense," Sapphire smiled. "I just want to forget that I even have them…If I didn't have that stupid vision during the boss level then you wouldn't-"

Ruby glared at her. "No!" She argued. "I refuse for you to blame yourself."

"I blame these stupid visions!" She rubbed her eyes through her bangs. "I feel like I'm losing my mind whenever I have them."

The red gem shook her head. "You're not-"

"Forget it Ruby," She looked away. "It's stupid I never should have told you-"

She tightened her grip on her hand. "It's not stupid!" Sapphire looked up to see a fire in Ruby's glare. "It is a part of you just like my anger is a part of me! It's not a flaw; it makes you who you are." She softened. "Sapphire…"

"I think it's amazing," She sighed out.

Sapphire held back the tears that threatened to fall and gave the girl a thankful smile. "You sound just like Greg,"

' _That killed it,'_  Ruby shuddered.

"Really now?" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you met him then?"

The blue girl nodded. "Pearl took me there after the incident and he cooked us an amazing dinner; I brought you some leftovers." She giggled when she saw the excitement in Ruby's eyes.

"Thank god, I'm starving!"

She reached into her pocket and handed her a blue bracelet. Ruby looked at it and frowned.

"This isn't food," She pouted at Sapphire. "You got my hopes up. Why?"

The blue teenager giggled. The red girl was a lot funnier when she wasn't lashing out at her.

"I traveled to the Ice Kingdom and found ice crystals. Greg made me a new sword and I asked him to make you a shield." Sapphire bit her lip. "Not that you can't protect yourself but-"

Ruby placed it on her wrist and smiled. "I understand."

Sapphire sighed in relief. She didn't want to ruin the trust that they were creating.

"Seriously though," Ruby looked up at her with a stern look on her face. "We will make it out of this game, I promise."

"We'll do it together," Sapphire nodded.

Ruby grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	4. Dares

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 4: Dares**

"Behind you!" A soft yet hard voice erupted from the small blue girl.

Ruby red eyes looked to the right and a blue shield was extracted. "Got it," The red gem protected herself from the lava being hurled towards her.

The Crystal Gems were on their tenth boss level against the dogs from hell. They were large dog like beasts coated with fire and hurled lava with a loud bark. Rose had warned them ahead of time to not get too close. They had to attack from a safe distance.

But Ruby always liked to fight head on.

"Hurry up before it regenerates," Ruby shouted as she shielded herself from the lava that was beginning running out.

Sapphire took her cue and used her red sword to attack the fire beast. Her ice crystal sword collided head on with the purple gem on the creatures back. A bright light appeared when the beast was destroyed.

The blue girl smiled softly as she put her sword back in its protector. "I thought Rose told us to attack from a safe distance," She teased as she watched Ruby push the button in the middle of her shield.

"Well," Ruby shrugged. "You know me."

The red gem pointed to her left where another beast was attacking before the blue girl could respond. Sapphire withdrew her sword and Ruby her shield. They were on the fire beast in the blink of an eye.

Pearl removed her spear from the destroyed fire wolf and looked at the duo fight. "They're really good together."

Amethyst folded her arms and smiled. "They are. And Ruby is totally mellow now thanks to their friendship,"

Once Ruby had been cleared by Rose, the Crystal Gems continued to battle their way through the boss levels. Everyone had noticed the change in behavior with Ruby and Sapphire as well. The once ill mannered girl was now more considerate and open with people.

Ruby had also changed the blue girl in many ways as well. She had taught her how to fight with more fury and to put power in her attacks. The family noticed how they grew closer and embraced it.

Most of them.

"It won't last." Lars mumbled to himself as he watched the two interact once the beast was defeated.

Lars was the only one who hated seeing the two get so close. Sapphire never wanted to hang out with him anymore. It was all about Ruby and he was sick of it.

A groan lifted from his throat when he watched Sapphire laugh at something Ruby had said. Lars turned his attention to Rose so he couldn't see the two flaunt their friendship. She had just finished defeating the boss and he was ready to get back to the temple and get some sleep.

"Good work gems." The large pink women smiled at her group as they completed the boss level. "Now I believe we all deserve a much needed break!"

It was true. After almost losing a teammate it was difficult to get back into the fighting flow. Ruby kept telling them that she was fine but the fear was still there.

"About time you lot finished," A smug voice filled the boss chambers. "We thought you'd never defeat that boss."

The smile that Ruby was directing to Sapphire turned into a grimace when she recognized the voice. Sapphire shut her mouth and glanced behind her back to see what was going on.

Jasper stood in all his glory with two members of his team; Peridot and Lapis.

The red gem could feel her agitation rise and her patience wan. She had never liked Jasper even when he first joined their original group. Something about him just always seemed off.

She felt another hand hold hers. Ruby looked over to yell but felt herself calm down when she noticed it as Sapphire's. The blue girl said nothing.

"Good to see that you're all alive," Peridot smirked, her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Rose gave them a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Likewise,"

"So where are you off to now?" Jasper moved forward with arms crossed. "How about we join parties-"

Amethyst growled. "No way you psycho," Pearl tried to hold back the struggling girl. "We heard what you tried to do with Lapis!"

The family of gems all froze. Of course they had heard about it; everyone in the game had to.

Not too long after the Ruby incident; many other gamers had discovered the horrible truth and in return had became more careful. The news of Jasper actually trying to test this 'death theory' with Lapis had made breaking news. The orange gem wanted to see it with his eyes and risked Lapis's life by striking her with his sword.

It was one thing to be killed accidentally but purposely; it was the beginning of anarchy.

Jasper had now been named, rebel gem, due to his wrongful acts. Why Lapis remained in his group was a wonder to them all.

"Unbelievable," Ruby whispered.

The red girl couldn't understand why Lapis would even think about staying after Jasper tried to kill her.

Jasper's laugh shook the boss zone. "I heard about what happened to hothead over there but I thought it was just another rumor," A grin cracked on his face. "Lapis was just nice enough to help prove that theory; if you're cut you bleed."

"You don't just bleed, you gush out." Peridot remarked sinisterly.

Amethyst went from angry to afraid as she held her chest tightly. Ruby looked over to see the others reaction. They were all the same and she knew why.

They were turning into corrupt gems.

Corrupt gems are those who lose control of their sanity and go off on a rampage. They forget themselves and their memories as they give in fully to their gems. Although saving them seems helpless, somewhere deep down inside they are still there; trying to fight for what little control they have.

But there was no reasoning with corrupt gems and the only way to stop them is by crushing their gem stones.

"Are you okay?" Ruby finally whispered as she looked at the blue girl who seemed a little shaken up.

Sapphire looked back at her. "Are  _you_ okay?"

Ruby frowned. She felt fine, why would the blue girl redirect the question like that.

"Yeah why…" Ruby felt an icy cold hand trace over her cheek. "Geez Sapph, your hands are freezing!" She tried to pull away but the blue girl stood her ground.

"You're the one who is burning up,"

She was right. Ruby moved her own hands to feel her unusually warm face.

"You all look like you've seen a ghost." Jasper barked out viciously. "Don't you know starring is rude,"

Rose, who remained stoic throughout it all, called to her menu bar. "We wish we could stay but we must be going; with all the new boss levels to find…You understand right?"

"Of course," Jasper smirked. "My offer about us merging is still on the table."

Amethyst and Peridot both muttered an 'in your dreams' under their breaths.

"We'll contact you if needed," The pink leader deadpanned. "Let's go." She whispered, daring anyone to object.

They all followed her lead. Ruby swept her eyes over to Lapis and felt a pain in her heart. She actually has sympathy for the girl, they all know what Jasper is like and how he always did whatever it took to get something. To him; the ends justify the means.

She felt Sapphire tug lightly at her right hand; a little code that she often used when she was uncomfortable or wanted to leave the situation.

Not wanting to make the other girl any more uncomfortable, Ruby teleported.

* * *

"I just don't see why she hangs out with Greg all the time!" Pearl complained, which was a daily ritual, about the couple.

After they completed the boss level, true to her word, Rose allowed them to take the rest of the day off. Lars and Sadie had gone for a walk on the beach. After Sapphire refused to accompany him the brown haired boy grumpily requested the blonde tag along, although Sadie seemed happy to go.

Ruby and Amethyst were both sitting on top of the kitchen counter.

"I'm winning," The purple girl grinned.

Red eyes rolled dramatically. "By one point," She glared at the chubby girl. "Dare me to do anything else so I can get my points and beat you!"

"Anything?" Amethyst grinned when Ruby nodded firmly in determination. "We all see the way you look at her you know," She changed the subject.

The short tempered girl frowned in confusion. "Wha-"

"Sapphire," She whispered, not wanting to draw the blue girls attention. "I know you like h-"

Ruby covered the purple girls mouth with her hands. "Shh!" She glanced over her shoulder to see Sapphire talking with Pearl on the living room couch.

When she removed her hands she sighed. "Is it really that noticeable?"

"I think only Pearl, Rose and I know…Maybe Greg too." She scratched her chin and frowned. "Maybe even Sadie-"

Red eyes widened. "She knows!"

"Just an assumption, you aren't obvious but…" She thought it over for a few seconds. "We just all notice how you act differently towards her, you know?"

Ruby scoffed. "I don't treat her different-"

"Ruby." She deadpanned. "You're a ray of sunshine whenever you're around her. You follow her like a lost dog,"

The red girl raised an eyebrow. She wasn't that bad was she?

Amethyst smirked. "I think it's cute though and I know being around her makes you happy so it's no big deal." She patted her on the shoulder roughly. "You should tell her how you feel."

"Ugh," She fell back on the granite countertop. "I don't even know how I feel…"

She wasn't lying either. Sure she felt sparks whenever Sapphire grabbed her hand or melted whenever she looked at her directly or…What was she talking about again?

"How did we even get here, aren't we supposed to be having a dare contest?" Ruby sat back up as she fixed her hair. "What was your dare for me?"

Purple eyes brightened in mischief. "I dare you to get a kiss from-" She nodded in the blue girls direction.

"What, no freaking way!" Ruby barked with a blush rising. "Why would I…"

Amethyst interrupted her. "Why wouldn't you? She is totally oblivious about how you feel, maybe it's time you started giving her some hints."

It was hard for her to lie and say that she didn't want to kiss Sapphire. In fact she wanted, no, yearned to do it. Next to her amazing voice and flowing blue hair; her plump lips were the main source of her attraction to the girl. She had always thought they were one of her best features.

She could feel herself grow antsy at the thought of those soft luscious lips making contact with her own.

Ruby shook her head.  _'Bad thoughts Ruby,'_

"Even if I wanted to-"

"Which you do,"

She glared at the purple girl. "I do but I want to keep our friendship more than I want to make a pass at her." Ruby glanced at the blue girl. "She probably doesn't even like girls."

Ruby couldn't help but think that Sapphire could have any guy she wanted. So why would she settle for a mess like her?

"You never know," Amethyst smiled softly.

Ruby shrugged. "Let's just get back to the game,"

Amethyst said nothing. She didn't want to bother the girl any more than she already had. She just couldn't help but want to try to get the two together; she felt like they would be perfect for each other. She made a mental plan to make it happen.

The purple gem glanced over at see what the other two girls were up to.

Pearl was barking into Sapphire's ear about how much time Rose spends with Greg and how she never gets to see the leader often. The long haired gem had to refrain from reminding her that she sees Rose every day.

"They are dating," Sapphire reminded softly while she skimmed through her sword monthly magazine. "Couples need to spend time together."

The skinny girl rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous, what does she even see in him?"

Sapphire was beginning to lose her patience, why had the girl asked for her opinion when she just kept questioning everything. If she didn't know any better she would think that Pearl had a crush on Rose.

At first when Ruby told her that she didn't want to believe it and simply said 'She just misses her best friend'. Now she was making a mental note to apologize to the red gem and get her to save her from Pearl's drama.

"Are you listening?" When the skinny girl noticed her small nod she went on. "Anyway, yesterday I asked her to-"

Sapphire ignored the girl beside her, something Ruby taught her, and peered over her magazine. Across from them sat Ruby and Amethyst on the kitchen counter. She leaned in closer to hear what they were saying.

"I'm going to do it!" The purple gem whispered fiercely.

Ruby smirked as she led her on. "Well, go on then,"

Sapphire watched with a smirk twitching at the corner of her lips as the two spoke back and forth. They were defiantly the children of the family. Whenever Ruby wasn't with Sapphire, she was with Amethyst. The purple gem always brought out the child in the red gem and whenever they were together there was sure to be some damage done.

At the moment they were bickering above a puffy cloud they had obtained from the boss cloud level weeks ago. The puffy white cloud floated in the air mindlessly. It was a worthless item but the two gems wanted something to bring back and Rose couldn't deny the two of them.

"Here goes," Sapphire watched amused as Amethyst swallowed the cloud in whole.

Nothing happened for a few seconds but then the purple gem puffed up like a balloon. Sapphire held back a laugh as she watched the gem float towards the ceiling.

"Okay fine, two points for you, but that was an easy one!" Ruby argued.

The blue gem finally let out a loud laugh when Ruby pulled the girl down by her foot.

Ruby whipped her head around to the sound of Sapphire laughing, music to her ears. She felt her ears turn bright red. Her hand released the purple gem as she attempted to act her age.

"Don't stop on my account." The girl teased.

Pearl glanced at what was distracting the girl beside her. "Amethyst! I leave you alone for three minutes!"

"Ruby dared me to!" The purple gem smiled. "Now I'm winning,"

The red gem glared at her. "By two stupid points, dare me to do anything right now!"

Sapphire watched in fascination as Pearl squeezed the air out of Amethyst. The purple gem regained her usual form and moved her attention back to Ruby. The red gem was glaring at her from the counter and Pearl stood with her arms crossed.

"You know what I dare you to do." The purple gem wiggled her eyebrows.

Wait. Had Sapphire missed something?

She peered through her bangs to see Ruby wearing the brightest color of red that she had ever seen. Amethyst grinned while Pearl wore a soft blue flush.

"Your daring her to do  _that_?" Pearl gulped as her eyes flickered to Sapphire then back to Ruby.

The purple gem nodded. "You know you want to,"

"Ruby," She saw the red girl jump in her spot. "What are they talking about?"

The red gem stared at Amethyst with wide eyes. Why did the universe hate her? She could feel Sapphire's stare burning holes into her back. Ruby fumbled with her hands, something she did when she was nervous, and tried to think of something to say.

She was going to kill Amethyst.

"…" The red gem stood up and jumped down from the counter. "Uhm, Sapphire I haven't eaten in a while, join me?" It was phrased as a question but the girl gave her no time to answer.

Sapphire felt the red gems sweaty hands pulls at her wrist. Was Ruby nervous?

"What about the dare?" Amethyst called out.

The shorter gems left through the front door. The sound of it slamming shut filled the living room as well as Amethyst's loud laughing.

"Do you really think she will do it?" Pearl asked in curiosity.

A chuckle answered her. "Ruby isn't one to back down…" The purple gem grabbed a bag of pre-popped kettle corn and ran to the window.

"Where are you going now?" Pearl asked.

Amethyst sat by the window. "I'm going to watch the show!"

* * *

"Two strawberry milkshakes and a large fry," Ruby pulled out her money from her menu bar to pay the young blonde boy. "We can share the fries I guess." She mumbled to Sapphire.

The patient gem nodded. "Okay, I'm going to find us a seat outside."

Ruby said nothing as she watched the blue gem make her way outside. She felt a sense of relief fill her when she was out of Sapphire's presence. Although the calm and collected girl had been nice enough not to question her about Amethyst's behavior, Ruby still knew she wanted to.

Sapphire had told her before that she never wanted to make her feel uncomfortable and if a situation like it were to arise, the blue girl would drop the subject. But Ruby had a feeling that she wouldn't be letting this one go.

The short boy with blonde hair handed her the food. "Careful, the fries are really hot."

"Thanks kid," She juggled two cold shakes in her right forearm and used her left hand to carry the fries.

Ruby red eyes scanned the outside patio where other players were eating and chatting about. She found Sapphire quickly and made her way to the table overlooking the beach.

"Your shake," The red girl sat across from the blue. "And our fries…" She tossed the top of her milkshake off and dipped her fries in.

A sound of disgust came from the graceful girl across from her. "That is so weird…"

"I like it." Ruby laughed at the girl's twisted facial expression. "You should try it."

The red girl grabbed one french-fry and dipped half of it into her milkshake. Sapphire shrunk backwards when Ruby held it close to her.

"Sapph come on seriously," The muscled girl joked as she watched her dodge the fry like bullets. "Just one!" Ruby pouted.

The blue girl groaned.  _'Not the pout!'_

"Fine!" She snatched the dry potato and sniffed it cautiously.

Ruby chuckled. It was like watching a baby trying food for the first time. She watched the change in facial expressions as the girl carefully chewed the foreign food. Her eyes lit up and she reached for more fries; dipping them into her milkshake.

"You're a food genius," Sapphire smiled. "Hands down."

Ruby laughed and continued to eat along with her. "Greg taught me a few things about working in the kitchen," Her mouth started moving before she could process the words. "I could cook for you sometime."

Damn it.

Ruby mentally kicked herself. Amethyst was right about her acting differently towards the blue girl. Here she was; Ruby the gem crusher requesting to cook dinner for her teammate. She wondered what her old self would think of what she was becoming.

"Such a softie," Sapphire giggled. "I'll take you up on that though."

Ruby said nothing as she paid her attention to the food in front of her. She was fighting hard not to allow the blush to rise on her face.

Sapphire sat back and watched the girl across from her pick at her food. Truth be told, making Ruby blush had became her favorite pass time. At first she hadn't meant to do it intentionally but over time she began to enjoy watching the normally strong girl shatter into a mess of blushes and mumbles.

She didn't understand why she enjoyed teasing the girl so much. She literally had listed multiple ways to get a reaction out of the girl. Those involved; holding her hand whenever they strayed from the group, teasing her for being a softie, and complementing her. Part of her obsession was to understand what different blushes meant; mostly what Ruby's blushes meant.

So far they all resulted in embarrassment.

"Speaking of embarrassing," Sapphire looked up and caught Ruby's attention. "What was up with Amethyst? She said something about dares and Pearl started freaking out,"

Ruby gulped. "N-nothing important," She chuckled falsely. "You know how Amethyst and I get!"

"Bu-"

The short fry boy interrupted her when he approached them. "Sorry ladies but we are closing up for tonight."

"We're finished anyway," Ruby was quick to stand. "How about we walk on the beach so we can digest the food faster?"

Not wanting to get back to the temple early and have to listen to Pearl's sad love life, Sapphire agreed. They left the boy a small tip and proceeded to walk down to the beach. The sun was beginning to set and many of the players had left. Sapphire assumed that Lars and Sadie had left as well.

They sat by the salty water. Dark blue liquid pushed forward and back as it barely avoided contact with their shoes.

Sapphire sighed. "Can you please just tell me what is going on?"

She had lost all of her patience today; first she used most of it…Okay she used all of it on Pearl. Any other time she would just give Ruby her space but she wanted to know.

"Er," The red gem moved away from her slightly. "Seriously, it was just a stupid dare! It's nothing-"

Her voice grew higher. "Then why won't you tell me if it's  _nothing_?"

Ruby glared at the sand below her and clenched her fists; trapping the sand beneath her palms. Why couldn't she just let this go?

"Rub-"

Ruby had lost her patience. "It's embarrassing!"

Sapphire jumped at her outburst. It hurt that after everything they had been through together that Ruby still didn't fully trust her.

She placed her right hand on top of her balled up fist. "What happened to us not hiding anything from each other? Actually no." Sapphire held her hand tighter. "What happened to just trusting each other? You can tell me anything no matter how embarrassing it is; you know me."

"I would never laugh at you or put you down; we're supposed to build each other up." Her soft voice coaxed the red girl out of her fit. "Just be honest,"

She knew that Sapphire was right but she just couldn't take the idea of possible rejection. Ruby had no doubts that the girl wouldn't tease her, that wasn't the kind of person Sapphire was. Sapphire was nice, calm, and patient.

But most of all she was understanding.

She would understand Ruby's situation and wouldn't hold her to it. If she asked her to forget about it then she would; no questions asked. Then they would go back to normal.

"She dared me to kiss…Somebody." Ruby stretched the truth; it wasn't a complete lie. "It's embarrassing because I haven't really had my first kiss yet and she was just teasing me about it; she's a jerk." She hadn't intended on telling the girl all of that but she trusted Sapphire not to abuse her trust.

A soft laugh filled the air.

"I'm glad you find it funny," Ruby rolled her eyes. "You know what…I knew I shouldn't have told you-" She started to stand.

"No! I'm sorry," Sapphire spoke through her fit of giggles. "It's just funny because I haven't had my first kiss either." She pulled Ruby back down into the sand.

The red girl stared at her in disbelief. " _You_  have never kissed anyone? How?" She stuttered. "You're beautiful; I thought you would have to fight guys off with sticks!"

' _Beautiful?'_  Sapphire thought.

The red girl must not have noticed her slip up. When Sapphire looked up Ruby was waiting for an explanation.

She felt her own blush rise up. "My parents just always kept me locked up in the house so I never really had the chance to date or have friends," Sapphire chuckled. "But it all worked out,"

"I got to meet you and Rose and the others. You guys are like a real family to me," She smiled.

Ruby smiled back. "That's exactly how I feel. You guys accept me which is more than I can say about my parents." She looked expectantly at the blue girl. "But seriously, not one kiss? Or a first boyfriend thing,"

"Nope." Sapphire smirked. "How about you?"

Ruby laughed. "Nobody really caught my attention…" She had to fight to keep her eyes from glancing at Sapphire.

"Yeah," She adjusted her bangs as a light breeze passed over them. "I wonder what it's like."

A frown fell on Ruby's face. "What?"

"Kissing someone…It seems like it would be weird," She racked her brain. "I mean how would you…Where would you face? What if you bumped noses?"

Ruby shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I think it's just something that happens and your body knows what to do but your mind doesn't," She looked up to see Sapphire watching her. "Why are you so wrapped up on it?"

Sapphire bit her lip. "I-I want to try it."

Had she heard her correctly?

Ruby felt her face begin to heat up.  _'Does she want to kiss me?'_

Of course she wouldn't. Ruby wanted to punch herself for even thinking that Sapphire would want to kiss her. She was probably talking about that large eared loser.

"Go for it," She snapped. "I'm sure Lars would be happy to-"

Sapphire stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Why would I want to kiss Lars? He's a good friend but he knows where he stands,"

Ruby wasn't so sure. She had noticed the brown haired boy glaring at them whenever Sapphire chose to hang out with her rather than him. It was funny to watch the boy sulk and whine; Ruby had no sympathy for his immaturity.

"Then who-" Sapphire gave her a pointed look and then Ruby gasped. "Me?" Red hands pointed to their keeper. "You want to  _kiss me_?"

She had to be dreaming.

The blue girl leaned closer to the blushing girl. "Well you're my friend and I think it would be better for both of us to kiss someone that we're already comfortable with."

Ruby was far beyond comfortable now but she refused to pass this up.

"Okay, yeah sure I guess that makes sense," She nodded. "H-how should we?"

They awkwardly adjusted themselves in the sand. Sapphire and Ruby both sat with their legs crossed while facing each other.

"Just relax," Sapphire grabbed both of her hands which didn't really help her calm down. "Remember that this is my first time doing this too."

It was and Ruby wanted it to be special for her; not a clumsy mess.

She got herself together and gave a nod to Sapphire. "Right,"

Both gems moved in slowly as they carefully avoided knocking their noses together. Ruby stared at the smooth blue skin up close.

In that moment Ruby wondered if kissing in the game would feel anything like it did in the real world.

She also wondered why the hell she was thinking at a time like this. In fact she couldn't think with the feeling of soft plush lips, which she had been thinking off all day, rubbed against her own.

Ruby had long closed her eyes as she leaned in to get closer. It was unlike anything she had ever imagined. She could feel Sapphire's lip gloss coating her own lips as they smacked together in a soft and slow kiss. She could feel her eyes roll behind her head when she tasted the strawberry smoothie they had hours ago. She never wanted it to end.

Sapphire felt her hands grip tighter at Ruby's in an attempt to get her closer. She had to fight back a sound that she felt rising to her throat; a groan maybe? Who cared, she was too wrapped up in the feel of Ruby's surprisingly soft lips.

The sound of their lips colliding together in a soft dance was the only thing she could hear. A gasp erupted from her throat when she felt something wet on her lips.

Was that her…

Sapphire felt like she would faint. The feel of her tongue coaxing her bottom lip brought another pleasure. She instinctively pulled the tongue in between her lips before pulling away when air was needed.

Ruby had a glazed over expression as if she was in a trance.

"That was-" Sapphire began.

"Weird." Ruby mumbled as she softly wiped her lips off where there was slight drool.

Sapphire didn't know why but she felt her heart crack. "You…You didn't like it?" She began to pull their hands away.

"What no!" Ruby exclaimed and tightened their hands. "The kiss was…Amazing." She sighed. "It's just that when you kissed me you sort of passed along one of your visions onto me."

' _Amazing?'_  She thought.

The blue girl gasped. "Really, what was it about?"

"No idea," She chuckled. "I just saw like this little girl and you and I, it was weird."

Sapphire smiled. "Now you know how I feel." She continued. "Thank you though, for the first kiss thing…"

"It was okay," Ruby tried to down play it.

"I recalled someone saying that it was, amazing."

Ruby fought her blush and pulled them to stand. "Whatever, we should go before Rose sends out a search party."

"I hope Pearl is asleep, I can't handle anymore of her complaining." Sapphire rubbed her temples. "I've lost my patience with her."

Ruby smiled. "Next time just give me a signal and I'll save you from her torture."

"Now you tell me,"

* * *

"You don't deserve her," Lars growled out in a fit of rage.

He stood a safe distance away from the beach as he watched Sapphire and Ruby break away from the kiss. Sadie had long ago left due to his sour mood and his lack of attention towards her. He had seen the blue girl sitting on the beach and was about to approach her but then, they started kissing.

 _'That should be me kissing her, not muscle women over there.'_  Lars thought bitterly.

"She will be mine." He gave on final glare and then turned back towards the temple.

* * *

"She really did it," Pearl gaped with her jaw hung down as she watched the two kiss from the open window.

Amethyst grinned. "I knew she had it in her," The purple girl pulled out her notebook and changed the score.

"Maybe she should get an extra point," The purple gem smirked. "She did use tongue..." She scribbled down some more and then smiled once she was satisfied.

_Ruby 6 Amethyst 4_


	5. Affliction

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 5: Affliction**

"So nothing is going on between you two?" A skeptical Amethyst asks with an eyebrow raised.

Ruby shrugged and shoved her hands into her tight shorts pockets. "Nothing at all," Her glare is pointed at the ground. "She hasn't said a word about it since it happened and I don't want to be the one to bring it up…"

The Crystal Gems were in the process of searching for a new boss level in an abandoned jungle. Greg had told them that there has been a lot of strange activity in the area and that they should check it out. An assortment of tress, bushes, and wild animals filled the land. It was a large forest and one could get lost if they weren't careful. Rose had told the group to stay together but Amethyst and Ruby had trailed further behind to talk.

They made sure that the other gems, mainly Sapphire, were out of earshot.

"This is crazy," The purple girl exclaimed. "I don't understand how you guys can just kiss and then…You two just act like it never happened." She tried hard to keep her voice down; glancing back and forth between the group ahead and Ruby.

Ruby replied softly. "I guess we can."

Amethyst stopped her rant and looked at the red girl; she wasn't acting like herself. Usually whenever something gets in her way she finds a way to smash through it. This girl that she was looking at now was just…Giving up, and Ruby never gives up.

"You're going to fight for her right?" She asked with excitement. "Yeah that's right! You'll fight for her and then you two-"

"Don't you get it?" Ruby snapped with her fist now clenched. "She obviously doesn't want anything to do with me."

Amethyst shook her head. "No that's not true-"

"It is true." The red girl interrupts. "I know it is because we've never talked about it and whenever I'm around her it's weird and awkward…"

Her chubby friend continues to deny it. "Rub-"

"I feel like she won't even look at me!" Ruby whisper shouts, they both finally come to a stop in the middle of the jungle. "I feel like I'm invisible to her and it's because of that damn kiss, it was a mistake. I would take it back if it meant that we could go back to how we were,"

She fought back tears that threatened to escape. "There's a pain in my heart and I know how sappy this sounds but it actually, physically, hurts." Ruby shook her head rapidly.

"Just talk to her." Amethyst encourages. "I'm sure that once you work it out you two will be together-"

Ruby sniffed. "I don't care about being with her anymore-"

Amethyst was in shock. Had she heard her correctly? Was Ruby just going to try and ignore her feelings for Sapphire and give up on her completely?

"As long as I'm with her in any way then I'm okay." Ruby concluded.

The purple gem perked up. "So you aren't giving up on your chances with her?"

"There are no chances but I'm okay with that." The small grin on her face displayed her content. "Being friends with her is more than enough for me…As long as she is happy."

"But are you happy?"

A silence falls around them as Amethyst looks at her intently.

Ruby didn't care about her own happiness at this point. The only thing that mattered to her was the well being of Sapphire. Don't get her wrong; she wanted to be with the blue girl, she really did. But she would rather remain friends with her then to have no part in her life at all.

She had kissed Sapphire for her own selfish reasons and she felt as if she had betrayed the blue girls trust. Things weren't perfect between them but Sapphire was telling her things that she hadn't told anyone else and Ruby actually felt like she was in control of her anger around the blue girl. She had let her lust over cloud her morals and she never wanted to do that to Sapphire again.

"Amethyst and Ruby!" The obnoxious voice of Pearl echoed in the jungle. "Hurry up you two we have found something,"

A purple chubby hand grabbed Ruby's forearm as the red girl attempted to walk away. The purple gem pulled her back once more.

"What?" Ruby whispered in defeat.

She couldn't stand to see her bestfriend like this.

Amethyst sighed. "At least talk to her, it doesn't have to be about you two dating or anything. Just to clear the air," Ruby opened her mouth to protest but she was interrupted. "Please?" She begged; which was something she never did.

"Fine." The red girl replied.

* * *

"What are they talking about?" The future seeing gem whispered to herself.

Lars shrugged and moved closer to the blue girl so that their shoulders were almost touching. "Probably more stupid dares," He glared at the ground and whispered in annoyance. "Can we please stop talking about her."

Sapphire and Lars were in the mist of their other teammates while Ruby and Amethyst were walking further behind. It had been a day since the kiss and they still haven't really talked about it; not like Ruby seems to care. Sapphire felt like the girl was avoiding her. Whenever she saw Ruby walking down the hallway the red girl would always turn around and go in the opposite direction. When Rose paired them up at practice they voiced no complaints but their interaction was always awkward and they kept their distance from each other. Just mumbling a 'hello' and 'goodbye'.

It was awful.

She missed being able to just talk to Ruby and laugh with her. The kiss had ruined everything; but it wasn't like she thought it was a mistake. Sapphire was just confused.

The kiss was amazing but it was only her first kiss so she didn't really have any to compare it with. What if she kissed someone else and found out that her kiss with Ruby was nothing but first kiss jitters? When did she even start thinking about the other girl in that way? How would she know if Ruby liked her back?

"I need to talk to her." Sapphire summarized.

Lars rolled his eyes but remained calm. "S-so I was thinking…Do you want to get something to eat with me later, maybe after this mission?" He asked hopefully.

"Oh." Maybe some time with Lars would help her with her situation; he always seemed to give her good advice. "Sure I guess so. Just meet me outside my room and we'll talk then,"

A grin spread wide on his face and he resisted the urge to fist pump in the air. "Cool,"

This was his chance to finally make his move. No more distractions from Sadie and muscle woman; just him and Sapphire. He planned on taking her out for pizza and then maybe a movie.

He has had the biggest crush on her ever since she logged onto the game. But whenever he tried to tell her something or someone would ruin his chances; but not this time.

"It's going to be perfect," He smirked.

Rose approached the group, with Pearl gripping at her arm, and sighed. "There seems to be nothing here-"

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted Greg," Pearl scoffed with her nose stuck up high. "And will you two hurry up already!" When she turns back to Rose her voice softens and her eyes turn dopey. "Rose has something to say."

Amethyst and Ruby finally make it to the group. They both stand together along the outside of the small circle the group created. Sapphire twitches in her spot; fighting the urge to move close to the red girl across from her.

"Right," Rose coughs into her hand. "There isn't a boss level here and if there was I'm pretty sure we would have found it by now. Let's all just go back to the temple and try tomorrow."

If Pearl had a tail it would be wagging. "Excellent idea,"

"Ugh," Ruby groaned.

' _If Pearl ever acted like that to me I would shoot my brains out.'_  The red girl thought as she watched Pearl suck up to Rose.

Amethyst nudged the red girl and leaned into her ear. "Don't forget to talk to her when we get back; it's the perfect time."

"I know." Ruby sighed.

* * *

After spending time with Pearl, playing chess, Rose had teleported to her boyfriends van. The skinny girl seemed a little upset but she had to understand that she needed time with the large man.

The truth of the matter was; Rose Quartz was lost.

She had no idea where the eleventh boss level was hidden and she didn't want to let everyone down. Being with Greg always allowed her to figure things out and she just loved being with him. Hell she loved him period.

"Honey," Her beautiful voice carried through his empty van.

His head popped up behind his work bench; he smiled. "Hey Rose! Any luck in that jungle I told you about?" The man stood up and wiped his greasy hands off on his apron around his waist.

"No," She sighed, taking a seat on one of the deserted chairs. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to find it; they all think so highly of me but…I don't want to give them false hope."

"I mean what if I die in the-"

Greg shook his head and reached for both of her hands. "I won't let that happen. I know that I'm not really fighting on the field but I'm making weapons and trying to find boss levels-"

"I know and what you do really helps us," She kisses him on the forehead softly. "That sword and shield you made for Sapphire has really come in handy."

He smirks. "I knew it would! How does she incorporate both of them into her fighting?" Greg released her hands and pulled out his notepad and pen. "Does she shield herself and then strike? I need to know just in case there are any changes that need to be made."

"She doesn't have the shield." Rose replied with the hint of a smile.

His face scrunched up. "She threw it away?" His voice rises and he tosses his writing utensils back onto the table. "After all that work; I can't believe sh-"

"My darling," She laughs; trying to calm him down. "She gave it to Ruby. She and Ruby are paired up during boss levels and practices."

Greg raises an eyebrow.

"Ruby has the shield?" He is skeptical as Rose nods. "And she actually uses it for protection? B-but Ruby isn't the kind of fighter who takes precaution; she thinks it is a sign of weakness."

The pink woman smiled. "Sapphire has had quite the affect on her." Rose looks down at her hands. "They think that I haven't noticed but it's pretty hard not to,"

"Does she make her smile?" Greg speaks softly as he takes a seat next to his beloved.

Rose nods. "She does. Ruby has changed Sapphire too; I've noticed a little more attitude from her whenever Pearl gets a little…Much" She scratches her head with a light chuckle.

"But?" He says knowingly.

"But," She frowns. "Something has happened between them and I don't know what. During practice they still fight amazing together but their connection isn't as strong; they seem distant."

"I want to talk to them but it isn't really my place," Rose looks back up with a small smile. "Enough with our drama back at the temple; how is our little project coming along?"

Greg turned serious. "It's almost finished but I really don't understand why you're having me make this," He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Care to shed a little light?"

"It's just in case I'm killed in the game." She held her hand up when he tried to speak. "I'm one of the only players in the game with my shield and power; there isn't anyone else stronger than me. What if I were to be killed before we had time to get out?"

Rose continued. "If I am killed then they would need my power. So this program will take my power and will be able to help the others in my absence." She looked up at him. "I know it sounds awful but it is just a precaution; please finish it as fast as you can."

"I will," He reassured. "Do you have a name for the program yet?"

She smiled. "Steven,"

"Steven?" Greg frowned. "It's a program; it isn't going to be a real person you know that right?" He scratched his hairy chin. "Maybe I can make it in the form of a child but it's not like it will have real emotions and…" He shakes his head. "I'll work out the kinks later."

Rose nodded in content. "Now if you excuse me; I am going to take a nap in your room." She smiled. "Have you finished that album yet?"

Greg rolled his eyes playfully. "It's on the top dresser next to my Little Butler DVD,"

"Ugh," Rose groaned. "Promise me that you'll get rid of that stupid thing."

He smiled. "I'm on it,"

Greg crosses his fingers behind his back.

* * *

The group had just returned to the temple. Pearl dragged a less than willing Rose into the living room to play a game of chess. Sadie had retired to her room for some well deserved rest and Lars and Sapphire were nowhere to be found.

Ruby kicked random cans that lay scattered on the ground in Amethyst's room. She was still trying to gather the courage to talk to the blue girl. It wasn't working out too well.

"Dude stop being such a tool and just talk to her!" The purple girl shouted from the top of her trash heap; preparing to jump.

Ruby sneered. "Maybe I just wanted to hang out with my bestfriend for a while!" She landed softly on the floor despite the mess; she was used to it by now. "I like jumping into the water from high heights too you know; I'm the one who invented the game!"

"You did not." The purple girl argued in a child like manner. "And you're just trying to distract me so you don't have to talk to Sapphire." She nods to the door with her arms crossed. "Get too it,"

The red girl fiddled with her hands. "B-but…What will I even say? What should I say?" She exaggerated. "What if she-"

Amethyst cut her off.

"Ruby, this is Sapphire we're talking about. You two have gotten pretty close so I'm sure you'll have no problem talking to her." She gave a small smile. "Just be honest with her,"

Amethyst was right. This was Sapphire; the most understanding and compassionate person in the world. No matter what Ruby had to say the blue girl would never put her down. Sapphire had said it herself.

"You're right. It's not like I haven't talked to her before," She stands with new found courage. "I'm Ruby, I'm not afraid of anything."

The purple girl grinned. "Yeah; you may be small in size but your big in…" She scratches her head with a chuckle. "Just go talk to her."

"Right after I see you try and beat my record of having the largest pool splash,"

Amethyst smirked. "Sit back and watch the pro." She cracked her knuckles and stood into position.

* * *

"Sapphire there is something that I need to tell you," Ruby ranted. "It may ruin our friendship but I-" She shakes her head. "No that isn't good…"

The red girl tried to come up with another way to say it.

She tries again. "Ever since the first day I met you," The red gem cringed. "Way too mushy-I'll just wing it." She shrugged.

The red girl had just left Amethyst's room, after watching her fail at attempting to beat her record, and was making her way to Sapphire's. The blue girl had literally disappeared when they returned from the mission and she was kind of glad; she didn't need Sapphire turning her into a blushing fool. Sometimes she felt like the girl was doing it on purpose.

While she prepared to meet the girl she reminded herself not to expect Sapphire to reciprocate her feelings. She was capable of having her own opinions and Ruby wouldn't force her into anything. She might get rejected but it was worth a shot. Her only fear was making things weird between them.

As she approached the turn leading to the blue girls room she raised her hand to knock on the door. But she found herself frozen in her spot. Mouth hanging open like the idiot she felt like.

Her heart was breaking all over again.

There in front of the door was Lars and Sapphire. Kissing. The same mouth that she had just kissed the day before was being tainted by the brown haired boy. She wanted to run over there and shove them apart and claim the girl as hers. But Sapphire wasn't hers and she could kiss whoever she wanted.

Ruby closed her mouth and turned around to give the couple their privacy. Her fist clenched at her side as she slowly, and purposely, walked down the deserted hallway. She felt her body shaking not in anger but in despair. She felt hot tears begin to surface around her eyelids.

She was such an idiot. Of course Sapphire didn't feel the same way; she probably only kissed her because she felt sorry for her. That had become clear when she saw her kissing Lars. Of all people!

"I knew this was a mistake," Ruby ground out in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. "I need to get away; I can't be around her right now."

She couldn't be around  _them_. Just the thought of Sapphire and Lars as a couple made her sick to her stomach.

"I need to find Rose."

* * *

After the group retired back to the temple Sapphire had went straight to her room. Lars was waiting patiently outside while she gathered her money together. He had asked her to get something to eat with him and she couldn't wait. She needed someone to vent to about her whole Ruby problem.

She hadn't been able to have a real conversation with him in a while and he always knew what to say. He was a good friend and she was glad to have him.

"I'm ready," Sapphire spoke when she emerged from her bedroom; the door closing automatically behind her. "Where are we going to eat again?"

Lars gulped. His face was slightly red and he could feel his hands sweating up. The girl made him nervous and whenever he was around her he felt tongue tied. He could already feel the butterflies begin to build up in his stomach.

"There is actually something I need to talk to you about." He scratched his neck. "I've needed to tell you this for a while now," His voice cracked towards the end of his sentence.

Sapphire nodded. "I need to talk to you too,"

"It's just that…" He gulped thickly. "I can show you easier than I can tell you."

Before she could even think about what he said his lips were on hers. Sapphire's eyes widened behind her blue bangs and her hands reached out to his shoulders in pure instinct. She was too shocked to push him away but her mind was still racing. The only thing she could think about was…

Ruby.

Ruby and how her soft moist lips felt way better than his hard chapped ones. The contrast between his haste and her delay stood out. Lars was messy and out of rhythm while Ruby had been careful and exploring.

The red girl acted as if their first kiss would be their last. But she didn't rush it like Lars was doing. She made sure that Sapphire was okay with what she was doing. She made sure that Sapphire was comfortable. But Lars didn't.

And she wasn't very comfortable at the moment.

When Sapphire finally came to she pushed the boy with all her strength. He let out a 'hey' as he tripped over his own lanky legs and landed flat on his back.

Sapphire wiped her mouth with the back of her hand in disgust. She resisted the urge to spat on the ground to get rid of his boyish taste left on her lips.

Ruby's lips tasted way better.

"I think you should go." She spoke with controlled displeasure.

Lars gasped.

He thought that everything was going so well. She might have just been standing there for a moment but her hands had reached out to him. She had to feel something!

"Sapphire I-"

"I said." She growled. " _I think you should leave._ " Her voice lowered to a new octave.

Once of which made the brown haired boy want to wet his pants. Lars gulped again, this time in fear, and scrambled to his feet. He ran away in the direction of his room, yelling a 'sorry' over his shoulder.

No matter how much she wished that the kiss had never happened with her and Lars she was still satisfied. Now she knew how she felt.

Sapphire made her way to the red girl's room. "I need to find Ruby,"

* * *

"Rose," Ruby rushed out as she knocked softly on the woman's door. "Please, I know you like to be alone but I really need to talk to you!"

"She isn't here," Amethyst made herself known as she emerged from her room. "She is staying at Greg's place tonight."

They could hear Pearl scoff from the kitchen.

The purple gem frowned. "Wait. I thought you were going to talk to Sapphire," She moved closer to the antsy red gem. "You're not still avoiding her are you?"

Ruby remained mute.

"Ruby," She sighed loudly in agitation. "Sapphire likes you-"

"Does she now?" The girl glared at her with pain in her eyes. "Then why the hell did I just go down there to pour my heart out to her just to see her kissing saggy ears?"

Amethyst stood with her mouth open.

Ruby laughed darkly. "Yeah that's how I looked when I had my heart stomped on!" She lowered her voice when she thought she saw Pearl looking at her in sympathy, she didn't want their empathy. "It doesn't matter, I'm leaving anyway…" She whispered in defeat.

"You can't just leave, this game is dangerous and we need to-"

Ruby stopped her. "You guys don't need me," She looked at the floor. "I just cause people pain and get in the way of their happiness." Thoughts of the couple kissing filled her mind again.

"No we do need you," Amethyst argued; looking to Pearl for help.

Pearl took her cue and nodded. "Oh yes! Of course we need you," She looked around as if examples would fall from the ceiling. "I mean…What will Sapphire do without you're help on the field?" She paused. "Then again last time you did get stabbed and you put her into a shock-"

Amethyst sent the skinny girl a sharp glare. She mouthed a 'what's wrong with you' and went back to consoling Ruby.

"She didn't mean that-"

"I know what she meant; but I'm not leaving because of the rejection, no matter how painful it is." Ruby mumbled. "I just can't stand to be around them right now,"

Pearl spoke up in an attempt to redeem herself. "I know-"

"No you don't know." The red girl's temper flared. "You don't know how it's like to watch someone you  _love_  be with someone else."

The taller gems gasped in surprise.

"Y-you…" Amethyst smiled despite the situation. "You love her?"

Ruby glared at her. "Yeah I do. But that doesn't really matter right now because she doesn't feel the same way and I can't stand to see them…Together." She spat out. "I'm not upset with Sapphire; I can except that she doesn't feel the same way but I can't be around to see this happen."

"Where are you going to go?" Pearl asked from the kitchen.

The purple gem nodded. "You can leave but you have to at least tell us where you are going. Just in case something happens so we will know where to find you."

"I'm going to wander around in the desert region for a while." Ruby stood on the warp pad in the middle of the living room.

The other girls followed her closely.

"Will you come back?" Amethyst asked sadly. "You can't stay away from us forever; when we find another boss level we will need your help."

Ruby nodded. "I know that. I'm coming back but I just-just need some time alone…"

"What about Rose?" Pearl asked quickly before the girl could leave.

The red girl called to her menu bar. "Just tell her that I need some time to myself, I'm sure that she will understand."

"Please be careful," Pearl mumbled; with nothing else to say.

Amethyst agreed. "Don't go finding another best friend out there." She added. "You better come back,"

"I will," Ruby said.

Not even giving them a wave; the warp pad activated and Ruby was gone. Almost immediately after the teleportation bright yellow words popped up on their group chats.

**Ruby is no longer a member of the Crystal Gems**

Amethyst let out a 'shit' as she smashed her fist into the glass table. Pearl was in too much of a shock to reprimand her when the glass shattered. It seemed as if everything was falling apart.

* * *

Rose jolted upright in Greg's bed. She looked to her left where the sluggish man lay on his back; his heavy snores filling the room. She quickly called to her menu bar and opened the message that was left behind.

**Ruby is no longer a part of the Crystal Gems**

Her hands froze. What was going on back at the temple to make Ruby leave?

"I'm gone for an hour," Rose muttered as she quickly emerged from the comfy bed. "Greg I have to go."

He let out a mannish snort when he awoke. "Huh…W-why what's going on?" His mind was still foggy from sleep.

"Well apparently Ruby isn't apart of out group anymore," Rose growled fiercely. "She is a solo player now and I don't think she knows how dangerous that truly is."

Greg was now fully awake. "I'll go get the tracking device while you head back to see what's going on." He followed her lead and left the bedroom. "I'll meet you there when I have the tools."

Rose simply nodded before she teleported out of his van. The older man plopped down onto the couch and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Ruby what are you doing?"

* * *

"I say we just go to their stupid temple and force them to join forces with us!" Peridot growled from her spot next to Jasper on the couch. "We are stronger than them; they should be begging us to join our group."

Jasper kicked his feet up onto the table. "Lapis get us some water." He glared at the blue girl who stood rigid as she leaned against the wall across from her superiors. "Now! Use your stupid powers and make yourself useful."

"Yes your majesty." Lapis bowed before using her powers to gather water into their empty glasses.

The notorious rogue gems lay hidden in their underground hideout. Jasper, Peridot, Centipedal and Lapis were all in the living room discussing how they wanted to take control of the Crystal Gems to get stronger. Jasper could care less about leaving the game at this point; he just wanted power. In the real world he was just a regular person who worked nine to seven just to put a roof on his head.

But in the game it was a different story. Here he had power beyond measure and people feared him for it. Jasper had tasted a piece of heaven but he wanted more. They all felt like that.

Jasper, Peridot, and maybe even Centipedal; but Lapis was another story.

The only reason she joined his group was because he had given her false hope of getting out of the game. It was only shortly after joining him that she realized she had made a terrible mistake. She really wished she had stayed with Rose Quartz; the woman had always given her a feeling of trust.

But sadly she acted out in her impatience and sided with Jasper instead.

She knew that for sure when the man attempted to kill her. It was just a quick jab in her stomach with his knife but it still hurt all the same. He had used her to see if you could really die in the game; she felt so used and abused.

She wanted to leave but where could she go?

"We can't do that while Rose Quartz is there," Jasper huffed. "Her shield would protect them from anything. And her power is none like anyone's in this game; even mine." Despite his negative words a smile remained on his face.

Peridot grinned. "I know that look, you have an evil idea and I want in."

"If we can find a way to get rid of Rosie then her power will be released into her gem. Once that happens anyone can take her gem and gain her power," Jasper smirked. "I'll just happen to be there when it happens."

Peridot crackled in joy. "Then her team won't have faith now that their leader is gone and they will be forced to side with us!"

"That won't work," Lapis whispered to herself. "Rose is too strong for you…"

A dead silence filled the room. Centipedal, now in human form thanks to his loss of gem power from Ruby, looked up to see what was going on. He had been reading one of his Teen Titan comic books when it suddenly turned quiet.

"Centi." Jasper drawled out nicely; she only used this voice around the child.

The green haired ten year old boy looked up from his spot on the floor.

"Yes'm?"

Jasper smiled; although it looked more like a sneer. "How about you go to your room and play with those new toys I bought you the other day?"

"Okay!" He cheered happily.

Peridot messed up his fuzzy hair when he ran past them. The sound of his room door closing filled their ears. Jasper then dropped the smile from his face as he turned to address Lapis.

"This should be good." Peridot whispered to herself in joy.

Lapis gulped.  _'I need to learn to stop talking.'_

"She's stronger than me?" Jasper stood up to face the water bender who shook her head in disagreement. "Oh so now you can't talk?"

A loud crushing sound was made at the contact of Jasper's fist to Lapis's right cheek. The blue gem fell to the floor face first but that didn't stop the man from kicking her in the stomach.

"Ach!" Lapis chocked out a bit of blood and attempted to crawl away.

A heavy foot crushed her wandering hand and she let out a scream. "You're one to talk you know that? Saying she is stronger than me when you're no stronger than my little Centi upstairs."

"You." He put pressure on her already crushed hand. "Are." Lapis lets out another broken cry. "Weak!" They hear bones snap at the final blow.

Lapis is in too much pain to let out another scream. Her voice is hoarse and her mouth hangs open as if she is paralyzed.

"You're trash you know that? You're lucky I like you," He chuckled when he walked back over to her. "You know what? I don't like you that much; you have five seconds to get the hell out of here!"

"One." Peridot counted in sick joy.

Lapis struggled to move her other unbroken hand to her menu bar.

"Two." Jasper joined in as they watched her crawl.

She finds the teleport button and reaches for it.

"Three." The corrupt gems spoke in allusion.

Lapis searched the globe for a place far away from here.

"Two." Jasper prepared to strike again.

She quickly clicked on the first thing she could and teleported out of the room.

"One!" Peridot laughed manically.

A bright light shinned bright and the body of Lapis Lazuli fell onto the sandy ground. She let out a high pitched screech when the pain hit her sharply.

"Agh," She spoke incoherently as she tossed herself onto her back; looking up into the now dark sky.

The words;  **Lapis Lazuli has been disbanded from The Rogue Gems**  floated above her. Despite her pain a smile graced her face.

She was  _free_.

* * *

Unknown to Lapis; a few miles away from her another solo player landed in the desert. Ruby landed softly on the sandy ground and took in her surroundings.

After spending, what felt like years of holding her emotions in, Ruby finally broke down. She fell to her knees and let the tears fall down her face. In those tears was the pain of losing Sapphire, being trapped in the game and even the pain of her life at home.

She let it all go just as the other blue player miles away from her did. Their cries filled the desert and the animals around the two girls felt for them. Although both girls were facing different problems they each had one thing in common.

They felt alone.


	6. Alone

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 6: Alone**

"Are you okay?" The soft consoling voice of Rose Quartz travels through her door.

A silence surrounds Rose and the person she is talking to.

The pink woman tries again. "Have you eaten the food I left for you the other day?" She asked.

The silence continues.

"I'll just leave this here then," Rose sighs; placing the plate of Greg's homemade spaghetti onto the floor softly. "She'll be back Sapphire; she wouldn't just leave us like this. Ruby may be impulsive but she always has a good reason for what she does. Just give her some time,"

She hesitates when walking away; not wanting to leave the girl alone in such a depressed state. It had been going on ever since the red girl had vanished and it had affected them all. Sapphire seemed to take it the worst though.

Rose sighed in defeat. "No practice today but we will have drills early in the morning." With that she turned around and walked towards her own bedroom.

Her soft footsteps faded away as she drew farther apart from Sapphire's door. The blue gem was sitting against the door with her knees pulled close to her chest; chin tucked between her knees. She wasn't in the best shape of her life.

She hadn't left her room in hours and had stopped eating the dinners that Greg prepared for them; no matter how good of a chief he was.

Her blue hair was now in a mass of tangles and knots; she hadn't been brushing it lately. Her lips were dry without her daily appliance of lip gloss and her throat was parched. She only ate when it was absolutely needed and even then it wasn't a lot.

Rose would leave food and new clothes by her door every few hours of the day. Sapphire would take them when the woman left just to let them all know that she was alive. Not that most of them seemed to care; Amethyst seemed to fit that description.

Sapphire thought that they were all supposed to be a family. If they were; they sure weren't acting like it.

The short blue girl really needed someone to talk to, with Ruby now out of the equation, she felt lost. There was no one she could talk to.

Lars, who was supposed to be one of her best-friends, had totally crushed her trust. After the kiss she had stopped talking to him but it was mostly because she hadn't seen him ever since it happened. Sometimes she thought she could hear his hesitant boyish steps begin to approach her door; only to turn back in the direction of which they had came. She wanted, no she needed, to talk to him about what she should do about the red girls absence. But she didn't think it would be a good idea after discovering his true feelings towards her.

Pearl and Amethyst were the absolute worst.

The skinny girl wouldn't say anything but whenever Rose mentioned the absence of Ruby, she would glare at Sapphire. As if it was her fault.

Amethyst would just straight out glare at her. She would throw Sapphire dirty looks whenever she would pass by. The blue girl wished that Amethyst and Pearl would just tell her what she did wrong.

Rose tried to get her to open up about how she was feeling but Sapphire didn't want to concern the woman in her affairs. Lord knows that she has a lot to deal with already.

And Sadie; she just wanted everyone to get along. She would try and change the subject whenever things got iffy but the room would still remain tense.

Sapphire needed Lars to get over himself and just be her friend. She needed Amethyst and Pearl to just come out and tell her what she did wrong. She needed Rose and Sadie to stop giving her sympathetic looks.

She needed Ruby.

Without the red girl by her side she felt so incomplete.

She needed to find Ruby and she couldn't do that by sulking in her room and feeling sorry for herself. She would have to get up and actually do something about it.

' _I need to find her,'_  Sapphire thought to herself.

She did; but first she needed to take care of something else.

* * *

"Where am I?" The short red gem groaned aloud in the heated desert.

After letting out all of her tears and frustrations she finally took the time to examine where she was.

She called to her menu bar, silently scowling herself, for picking one of the hottest areas in the game. The heat was literally unbearable and she wasn't properly equipped for this weather.

"Hm," Red eye roamed the map in front of her. "Yeah; I'm lost." She sighed in resignation and withdrew her map. "I'll just walk around and see if there are any stores-"

"Ugh!"

She paused in her movement. Was she hearing things?

"Shit!"

Ruby frowned; she definitely heard that. It sounded like someone was hurt.

"I'm such a softie," She groaned and turned into the direction of the pain filled groans.

Her short legs ran as fast as they could in the thick desert sand. It was even more challenging when she was running up a steep sand hill; she could feel gravity pulling her down as she pumped her arms harder.

The sound was getting closer as she neared the peak of the hill. She nearly collapsed when she made it to the top; beads of sweat forming around her neck and forehead.

' _I really need a shower,'_  She thought mindlessly.

Ruby took a calming breath, composing herself quickly, and looked up to see who was making said noises. Red eyes widened when they met the dark blue irises of Lapis Lazuli; and she did  _not_ look too good.

Lapis was laying down on her back clutching hard at her left side where it looked like someone had kicked her. Blood was dripping from her mouth and stains of her blood covered the sand around her; you could tell that she had been coughing it up.

There was a blackish purple ring surrounding her right eye; she was straining to keep it open.

"Shit," Ruby muttered to herself as she jumped into action.

The red girl ran over to Lapis and pulled the girls head into her lap. Red hands frantically searched tight pockets for something to help the water queen.

"You're banged up pretty bad," Ruby smirked proudly when she located her covert item. "Just hold still fo-"

Lapis groaned in frustration and whipped her head away from helping hands. "Just leave me alone! I deserve to die out here," She bit her bottom lip to hold back tears. "I don't even deserve your help; I'm just a traitor who chose Jasper over you and your group."

Ever since she turned her back on Rose Quartz and her team; Lapis had regretted it. Jasper and Peridot were so cruel to her. Always putting her down for being the weakest and hurting her whenever they felt like it.

She hadn't known Rose long but she knew that the pink woman didn't treat her teammates the way Jasper did. That much was obvious with Ruby, one of the meanest gems, actually trying to help her. Lapis silently praised Rose on how well she had taught Ruby some new manners.

"So," Ruby finally spoke up; a smile etching on her face.

Lapis stared at her bewildered. Why was she being so nice?

The red gem pulled Lapis's head back on her lap to examine her wounds once more. "You were a part of our gem family before you left with Jasper," Ruby's smile was unwavering. "Once a family, always a family,"

Lapis sniffed, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to run down her face. She didn't deserve any of this.

Ruby opened her palm to reveal a small pink teardrop necklace. It was supposed to go around a person's neck but the red gem chose to keep it in her pocket.

She noticed the blue girl starring at her teardrop and explained. "When I was injured Rose was able to heal me with her tears and she gave me a few extra drops just in case something like that happens again when she isn't around." Red eyes locked with blue. "I bet that if I use these then it will help you too,"

The blue gem watched as Ruby unscrewed the cap on the pink tear case. She motioned for the injured girl to open her mouth; Lapis complied.

A short moment passed before her cuts and bruises began to heal on their own. There were still obvious marks where the injury was but besides that it was good as new.

"You are going to probably have a few scars but they will go away in time," Ruby placed the rest of the tears back into her pocket. "And you'll be sore for a while," She stood up and dusted herself off.

Lapis nodded and followed Ruby's lead; standing up slowly to test everything out. "This feels so much better," She finally smiled. "Thanks Ruby,"

"Don't mention it; they are Rose's tears so you really owe her a thank you." Ruby hesitated. "Maybe if you joined us again…You could tell her yourself."

Lapis remained quiet. Of course she wanted to join the Crystal Gems again but she was still wary of Jasper. He was ruthless and would do anything to get stronger. She didn't want him going after her and then having the others fight to protect her; she didn't know if they could stop him.

The water bender quickly changed the subject; now getting defensive. "Why are you so worried about me all of a sudden" She growled; fist clutched at her side. "What are you doing alone? Aren't you with the Crystal Gems?"

Ruby was trying to reinvent herself. That meant understanding others and their situations better; but Lapis wasn't making it easy. And Ruby may be trying to change but that didn't mean that her temper was completely gone.

"Aren't  _you_  with Jasper?" Ruby shot back; always having to have the last word.

The red girl scowled herself silently when she saw Lapis flinch. She always took things too far.

"Sorry," Ruby calmed down.

Lapis shrugged and looked at her feet. "No harm done." She tried again. "It…It was my fault anyway, I started it."

"But my anger fed it." Ruby kicked at random mini sand mountains. "That's kind of why I'm a solo player now-" Lapis looked up; surprised. "I just needed to get away for a while-"

The blue girl shook her head; thinking that she had Ruby all figured out. "Lies; it has something to do with that new short blue gem who joined your group," Lapis smirked. "It is so obvious how you feel about her. I wasn't a member of the group that long but I could tell just by the way you looked at her during that one boss level."

"I'm guessing that you confessed your feelings to her but she didn't feel the same way," Lapis continued. "So you left in a fit of rage," She was happy to have flipped the tables and get some answers out of Ruby.

Ruby simply shook her head. "No." She continued; voice still calm and quiet. "She doesn't feel the same-"

"Just like I said-" Lapis grinned.

Ruby interrupted her. "And I'm okay with it." She smiled uncharacteristically. "I'm not going to force her to be with me; I just want her to be happy." Lapis listened closely. "My anger just always gets in the way of my thinking and when I don't think on the battlefield; people get hurt. People I care about,"

Flashes of the worm almost attacking Sapphire filled her mind.

Lapis sits down silently; now understanding. "We all have our flaws Ruby." She hesitated before opening up to the girl beside her. "My flaw is that I can't think for myself and other people always make decisions for me." She tucked her chin on top her knees. "Jasper kicked me out because he said I'm weak-"

It finally clicked into Ruby's mind.

"He did that to you didn't he?" Ruby spat out with fire in her eyes. "He's the one who gave you all those bruises." She shook her head desperately. "Lapis you can't stay with him; not with the way he treats you." Ruby begged.

She ignored the red girl. "He kicked me out and now I'm alone."

Ruby's attempt to sway her out of staying with Jasper were silenced. Lapis thought she was alone? She didn't know what alone was until she walked a mile in Ruby's shoes.

Alone was being ignored by your parents due to your sexuality. Alone was getting trapped in a video game with no hopes for escape. Alone was meeting the love of your life and not having them return your feelings.

Ruby didn't know what alone truly meant to Lapis and she honestly could not judge her. Maybe her alone was having Jasper abuse her physically and verbally. Or maybe it was something in the real world. She didn't know; but she did know that they had to stick together.

"Let's be alone together then," Ruby held out her hand.

Lapis felt a small blush reach her face at the smile being directed at her. The blue girl shook her head and took Ruby's hand.

' _Her hands feel nice in mine,'_  Lapis thought extraneously.

"We should look for a store first and then once we have some supplies we can search for boss levels," Ruby suggested as she opened her menu bar. "Is that okay with you?"

Lapis nodded and unconsciously moved closer to the strong girl beside her.

"Yeah," The blue girl smiled. "We have bosses to beat."

A bright light appeared as they teleported to the closest store around the desert region. When they left bright yellow words appeared in the air above them.

_**Ruby and Lapis; group of two.** _

* * *

Sapphire walked out of her room and down the hall with her head held high; she was determined. She ignored the way Pearl looked at her with mixed emotions from her spot on the couch. The way Amethyst openly glared at her from the kitchen counter; and how Sadie stood wearily beside her.

Her light blue eyes peered behind plush bangs and noticed a tall lanky figure outside on the beach. It was Lars. He was sitting on top of a moss covered rock. Sapphire wasted no time approaching him as she exited the house.

She took a deep breath from behind him before she spoke softly. "Lars."

"Dut," His back tensed as he jumped lightly in his seat. "Sapphire wh-what are…How are you doing?" His voice cracked in between his sentence; he felt utterly tongue tied.

The brown haired boy had been building up the courage to talk to Sapphire again so he could fix things. He just never expected her to actually come looking for him and now that she had his rehearsed apology was now erased from his memory.

"I need to talk to you." Sapphire spoke.

She felt awful for doing this to him. Talking to him about her new feelings for Ruby when she knew how he himself felt for her. But he was honestly the only person she could talk to and she wished he would get over it and face her.

Lars gulped. "Ab-about what?"

"Will you at least look at me!" Sapphire snapped. "And stop acting so weird around me,"

He finally turned around but only to glare at her. "How am I being weird-"

"Are you kidding me? You've been avoiding me ever since you kissed me!" Lars looked away in shame as Sapphire continued. "Whenever we do talk you stutter and you never give me a straight forward answer!"

"What do you want from me?" His voice broke in frustration. "I already told you how I feel about you and you've made it pretty clear that you want nothing to do with me!"

Sapphire shook her head. "That's not true, I need you-"

"Please," He scoffed, looking the other way.

She softened her voice. "I need you to be my friend."

"A friend?" He glared at her once more. "Don't you get it! I want to be more than-"

Sapphire interrupted him. "I know Lars! You made that perfectly clear but you have to understand that I don't feel that way about you." She calmed down when he kicked a random rock in a defeated manner. "My heart is spoken for."

"It's not fair," Lars muttered grumpily with his arms crossed. "I saw you first."

Sapphire felt her eye twitch. "Lars-" She warned sharply.

"I know, I know; friend zone," Lars finally looks at her after almost two days. "I know that you like her and I'm okay with that." He lied. "But I need some time with you too Sapphire. Ever since, _she_ , got into the picture we never hang out or talk as much as we used to."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "I really miss my best friend."

"Me too," The blue gem tried to address the situation again. "Maybe you don't really like me Lars. I think that in the heat of the moment your emotions just got the best of you," She coughed lightly. "To be honest I can't really see us working anyway." She chose not to mention the fact that he wasn't one of the best kissers in the world.

A boy could only take such so much damage to his ego.

"I guess, when we kissed…I mean when I kissed you," He scratched the back of his neck. "It was kind of like I was kissing my little sister." He chuckled genuinely.

Sapphire joined in.

"But seriously," His brown eyes looked at her. "I'm sorry for being weird and for…well you know."

The blue gem nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry for neglecting my best friend," She sat beside him and grinned. "I won't let it happen again."

"You better not!" Lars joked. "It was so boring without you scowling at me twenty four seven,"

He watched with satisfaction as she giggled softly beside him. Lars may have stretched the truth about not truly having feelings towards her; because he did. But he knew that he shouldn't act on them no matter how much he wanted to.

Sapphire didn't feel the same way and he would just have to respect that. He may not be the one she yearns for but he can still be the one who makes her leave her room after days of isolation. He can be the one who cheers her up and makes her smile like the way she is now.

And he can also be the one who knows when she has more to tell him.

"Go ahead," He nudged her shoulder with his playfully. "I know that you're dying to talk about her."

His stomach turned at the thought of Ruby and Sapphire together; but it settled when he realized how happy Ruby made her.

"About who?" She tried to play it off; a unique blush rising to her cheeks.

Lars smiled softly. "It's okay now, I understand where I stand."

Sapphire looked at him gratefully; she finally had her friend back.

"So go on then," He grinned mischievously. "You can start with how it felt when you kissed her. I mean I wouldn't go for her but I have to admit that she has the-"

Sapphire punched him in the shoulder; a blush hot on her face. "Shut up! That's so gross,"

"What I'm a guy!" He shrugged; not really caring. "How'd you think I react to, two hot girls getting to-"

Her blush was getting worse. "Please stop talking!"

"You're the one who missed having me around!" He watched in fascination as her blush grew. "But really." He turned serious. "I know that you didn't come out here for me to make fun of you; you're looking for Ruby and I think I know how you can find her."

The blue gem grinned. "You know me well,"

"I have to." Lars stood up and stretched. "You're my best friend." He helped her off the rock and motioned to the temple. "Sadie overheard them arguing before Ruby left. She didn't hear where she was headed but she is sure that Amethyst and Pearl knows where she went."

Lars looked down at her. "We just have to get Amethyst to tell us where she is and then you and I can go looking for her."

"Thank you." Sapphire smiled.

The brown haired boy shrugged and released her hand. "Whatever; novice's like you need professionals like me to make sure you don't get killed in this game."

"Idiot," She pushed him playfully; watching him grin at her. "Man, I really missed you."

She really did.

With Lars back at her side she felt better; but not complete. Sapphire still felt alone; and only one person could fill that void.

* * *

"Here we are," Lapis muttered. "The desert shop's and stop's…" She raised an eyebrow at the poor name for the store. "Why are we here again?"

Ruby shrugged as she picked up a few fruits and placed them into her shopping bag. "I'm not trying to starve myself out there in the hot sun."

"Why are we even still wandering the desert?" Lapis leaned against a nearby wall. "Can't we at least pick a place nicer like the deserted island over by the Crystal Zone? I heard something about an invisible monster over there," She tried to convince Ruby by mentioning something she could punch.

The duo had teleported to a small market in the middle of the desert. Ruby told Lapis that they would need a few more supplies and they were running low; and low meant they didn't have anything.

 _The desert shop's and stop's_  was the only market in the desert. It was a small hut that sold food, clothing, and useless merchandise. A single blonde haired teenager when went by the name of Ronaldo manned the stand.

He had told them that it was a family business.

"This is the only place we can go Lapis," She tried to keep her temper cooled. "Jasper would find us if we went anywhere else; even that stupid island."

Why would they even go to a stupid place like that.

"Besides; this isn't a fucking vacation," Ruby shoved the basket into the blue girl's arms. "This is a real game where we can actually die and we need to be careful. Check those out so we can leave," She didn't wait for a response and headed outside of the tent.

On her way out she bumped into the store clerk.

"Hey, watch it!" The blonde teenager retrieved his glasses from the floor. "Your friend is pretty rude," He walked over to Lapis; ready to check out her items.

"She's not a friend of mine," Lapis handed him the basket and folded her arms as she leaned against the counter.

He began to scan the items. "Then why are you with her?"

Lapis paused. Why was she with her?

Everyone could tell just by looking at the red gem that Ruby was rude and short tempered. Lapis wasn't usually attracted to people like her but she could tell that there was more to the red girl.

"Well," Lapis shrugged. "She is rude, short tempered, mean, impulsive-"

The boy frowned. "Wait. Aren't you supposed to tell me the good reasons why you're with her?"

"Oh," She chuckled. "Those are the good reasons. No matter how mean Ruby is she was still able to show kindness towards me when I was in a dark place," Lapis smiled softly. "After all the bad things I did to her and the other gems in the past she looked away from that and helped me anyway."

' _And I've been such a jerk to her,'_  The blue girl scowled herself.

"That is nice," Ronaldo smiled softly as he handed Lapis the supplies. "I wish you two the best and just a little tip," He leaned in close to whisper. "Try not to make it  _that_ obvious that you're crushing on her,"

Lapis smiled. "Yeah-"

Wait. What did he just say.

"I'm sorry…Crushing?" She raised an eyebrow.

Ronaldo nodded obliviously. "Well yeah, you two argue like an old married couple-"

"Because we hate each other!"

He continued. "You suggested to take her to one of the most romantic places in the game," His eyebrow raised.

"I didn't know that!"

"Your mind might not have but your heart did," Ronaldo chuckled. "Hey, maybe it's just me and my passion for romance." He scratched his chin. "But it doesn't over shadow my passion for weird stuff,"

The water gem shook her head; she was done with this conversation. "Thank you for the supplies," She transferred money into his account. "Keep the change,"

"Thanks!" He grinned. "I hope you take my advice,"

Like that was ever going to happen. Lapis was positive that she had no feelings for the red gem. How could she? She was rude, stubborn, strong, helpful, considerate, beautiful-

Lapis shook her head. "What am I thinking? How can I think about her like that, she's so mean to me!"

She wasn't her type and Lapis would prove it.

When she finally made it outside she found the other girl standing in the sand with her arms crossed. Her usual scowl on her face.

There was no way she could like her.

"Here you-" She stopped when Ruby held her hand up.

The red girl shoved her hands into her pocket. "Look Lapis I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," Ruby smiled and Lapis felt her stomach flutter. "We're a team now and I shouldn't be treating you the way  _he_  treats you."

"You're your own person and you can make your own decisions. I'm lucky that you've put up with me for so long," Ruby laughed softly. "Don't take it personally, I'm like this with everyone so when I apologize to you then you know I don't see you as just anyone-"

Lapis gulped. Her heart was beating faster with every compliment Ruby threw at her. The red girl was truly charming in her own way.

"You're strong Lapis," Ruby smirked. "Stronger than you think you are," The red gem stretched her arms, unaware of blue eyes following her every move, and grabbed a green apple from the grocery bag. "Enough heartfelt apologizes; let's search the desert for any boss activity."

The red gem walked on, thinking that the other girl was following her.

Lapis stood back for a while and tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding and she felt a little light headed from when Ruby softly brushed her hand across her arm.

The water bender gulped. "I'm in trouble,"

* * *

Sapphire and Lars had finally made it back into the temple after becoming friends again. They each wore similar smiles on their face. Sadie had watched the scene quietly from the window and although it was great, she still felt bitterness in her heart. She had liked Lars for so long; inside and outside of the game.

No matter what he chose to do she would support him; even if he chose to be with someone else. But that didn't mean she wasn't in pain.

"If it isn't the happy couple," Amethyst groaned out from the kitchen. "I'm glad you two have worked things out now that Ruby is out of the picture." Her glare was pointed at Sapphire directly.

Pearl quickly stood up to sterilize the situation. "Amethyst please calm down-"

"No!" She jumped down from the counter. "Because of her Ruby is gone!"

' _Because of me?'_  The blue girl thought in confusion.

Sapphire shook her head. "How is it my fault?"

"It's sad," The purple gem mumbled. "I really thought you were the one for her but I was wrong. To think I was actually going to tell you where she is-"

The short gem perked up quickly; ignoring the other words Amethyst had spoken. "So you do know where she is!"

"Great," Lars smiled. "Then you can take us to her so-"

The purple gem glared at both of them. "So you can break her heart again? I don't think so,"

"Break her, what are you talking about?" Sapphire frowned; now getting frustrated.

"You broke her heart Sapphire!" Amethyst lost it. "One day you two kiss on the beach and you actually have her thinking that she stands a chance with you. Then when I finally get her to build up the courage to confront you she comes back to me and Pearl in tears!"

"In fucking tears," She growled. "Telling me how her heart was stepped on when she caught you kissing  _him_! But the thing is; she didn't even care if you didn't share her feelings towards her." She continued. "She just wants you to be happy,"

Sapphire took it in and remained quiet.

After all this time of wondering why Ruby had left and it was her fault. She had broke her heart because she took too long to come to an understanding about her own feelings; but Ruby already understood.

Blue eyes widened behind their own bangs. Ruby already understood her feelings for Sapphire and she left when she thought they weren't returned. If she could just find her then everything would be okay. Amethyst and Pearl would stop hating her. Sadie and Rose would stop with the sympathy. Lars would have the strength to fully move on and...

She and Ruby could be together.

"But I could give a shit about your happiness," The purple gem folded her arms.

Lars spoke up when the girl beside him remained silent. "You don't understand! I was the one who kissed her," He tried to explain. "Ruby must not have seen the part when she shoved me to the floor."

"So you two aren't dating?" Sadie asked hopefully.

The brown haired boy shook his head. "No, Sapphire has made it pretty clear who her heart belongs to." He smiled at the relived look on Sadie's face.

"Well that still doesn't change anything," Amethyst glared at Sapphire. "I trusted you with my friends heart once but I won't make the same mistake twice."

Sapphire shook herself out of her daze and looked back at the purple gem. "Please Amethyst; I know you know where she is!" She stepped closer. "I need to find her-"

"Why!" The purple girl glared at her. "So you can hurt her again?"

Sapphire shook her head. "No-"

"So you can lead her on and make up more lies!"

Blue hands clenched together tightly. "No so-"

"So she can come crying back to me about how much pain you put her through!"

Sapphire finally snapped. "So I can tell her that I  _love_  her!" She took a deep breath and whispered it again. "I  _love_  her." A small smile graced her lips.

It felt amazing to finally admit it.

Sadie, Pearl and Amethyst stood with their mouths wide open. They were in complete shock.

They all looked over at Lars, shocked again, to see him smiling lightly.

"About time Sapphire," The brown haired boy grinned.

Sapphire smiled in approval before looking back at Amethyst. "Now," She took another breath to calm herself. "Tell me where Ruby is." She gave her a look of determination.

Amethyst nodded. "Ye-yeah." She gulped. "I'll take you to her.

* * *

"I'm back," Rose stepped off of the crystal teleporting platform. "How is-" She raised an eyebrow when she only saw Sadie, Pearl and Lars in the living room. "Now what's wrong?"

Pearl stuttered. "N-nothing!"

"Amethyst took Sapphire to find Ruby and bring her back," Lars said smoothly as he sat next to Sadie on the couch. "They said they'd be back in a day or two tops."

Sadie blushed at him closeness. He had decided to stay back with Sadie instead of going to look for Ruby; he didn't want her to get the wrong impression like last time.

"Sapphire actually left her room?" Rose gasped; smacking herself in the face with the palm of her hand. "Why does this stuff always happen when I'm gone!" She looked at Pearl. "Did you even try to stop them?"

Pearl grinned sheepishly. "It sounded like a good idea at the moment." She tried again when Rose glared at her. "You would understand our position if you were there!"

"Help me understand," Rose folded her arms; waiting for an explanation.

Sadie smiled dreamily. "Sapphire finally confessed her love for Ruby and she couldn't stand to be apart from her anymore."

The boy beside her continued. "And apparently Amethyst knows where she is so she's taking Sapphire there so she can fix things," Lars mumbled; taking a bite into his donut.

Pearl smiled softly. "Ruby left because she thought Sapphire was better off without her but now we know that they both love each other," She sighed happily. "We were hoping that if they could fix things; Ruby would come back and she and Sapphire would finally be together."

Rose felt her heart flutter at the romance that has been going on under her nose.

"Well, it's only for a day or two."


	7. Together

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 7: Together**

_Dwell in Possibilities_

A light shined bright in the Desert Region as two members of the Crystal Gems landed softly on the heated ground; they weren't prepared for this weather. Sure they lived on a beach but it wasn't as hot as it was here. They discovered shortly that they would need the proper clothing for this region before they passed out from a heatstroke.

"Are you sure she went to this region?" Sapphire asked; blocking the sun with her hand as she searched for Ruby.

Amethyst fanned herself. "She wouldn't lie to us," She took refuge on a small sand mountain for a bird's eye view. "But this place is huge and she could be anywhere!" She looked at Sapphire again. "We need to think like Ruby if we're going to find her. Now quick; you're Ruby in one of the hottest places in the game,"

"What do you do?" The purple gem raised an eyebrow.

The blue girl shrugged. "I look for some shade?"

"Seriously?" Amethyst pinched her temples and tried again. "I hate to admit this but you know her better than I do so you're the one who needs to figure this out; now." She looked back at Sapphire. "You're Ruby. You just left the temple because of heart break and you need some time to get away from it all. When you finally get here what do you do?"

Sapphire said, almost automatically. "After I'm done crying my eyes out; I realize that it's useless and I start to walk around for a while." She examined the sand and kneeled down; small hints of footprints greeted her. "But something halts me and I turn in that direction-" She points to a large sand hill where the footprints lead.

"There," She ran to follow them; staying in character.

Amethyst followed with wide eyes. "You're really good at this."

When they both reach the top they are startled to see dry blood coating the sand. It must have been there for at least five hours.

"Is she…" The purple gem gulped.

Sapphire shook her head. "No but maybe someone else was…This mystery person is hurt so I have to get them some help." She looks around. "I can't go too far or the teleporting portal will only kill them faster so I search the map for any shops in this region-"

"The Desert Shop's and Stop's," In her rant, Amethyst had searched the map for any stores. "If you're right then Ruby will be here!"

Sapphire narrowed her eyes behind blue bangs. "Yeah but who is she traveling with?"

"This is great!" Amethyst didn't notice the suspicious girl beside her. "Come on Sapphire," She grabbed her hand tightly and began to teleport. "We have places to be,"

The light appeared again and they were gone.

* * *

Ruby and Lapis were searching for any possible signs of boss activity. Now with the proper clothing attire they were able to travel at night when it was cold and in the morning when it was beating hot. They didn't take any naps; they weren't needed in the game, and just kept walking until they found something.

' _If Sapphire was here she would say it's insanity,'_  Ruby thought to herself with a bittersweet grin.  _'Doing the same thing and getting the same results; it was insane.'_

It was insane for her to keep hoping for different results when she did the same thing over and over again. It was also insane for her to keep thinking about Sapphire even though she broke her heart.

Either that or it was just sad.

But she couldn't care less. No matter what she did she couldn't get the girl out of her head. Lapis was a good distraction but Ruby couldn't help but think of all the possibilities of her and Sapphire getting together. She had come close to turning back and going to the temple where the girl resided but something was holding her back.

Maybe it was the thought of her ruining the other girl's happiness. Or the rejection that was sure to destroy her this time. She didn't know; but she did know that she would have to face it soon.

Ruby glanced at Lapis who walked slowly beside her.

What would happen to Lapis? Would she just go back and take the abuse from Jasper and his goons? Or would she finally snap out of it and rejoin the gems? Ruby could only hope.

"Hey," Red eyes focused when Lapis spoke. "How long do you plan on staying out here?" Ruby didn't notice the blush spreading on the blue girl's face; nor did she hear her whisper softly. "With me…"

The oblivious shorter girl shrugged inconsiderately. "Not too long," She sped up her pace as Lapis strained in closer to hear past the desert wind. "I'm going to have to face them all again," She looked forward stoically.

"Wh-why can't you stay out here with me?" Lapis suggested hopefully.

She had to admit that she was becoming a bit selfish; having all of Ruby's attention. Despite the few, or many, times she mentioned Sapphire.

Lapis had accepted the fact that she had a tiny crush on the red girl. They weren't the most ideal couple but it was possible.

"Are you serious?" Ruby scoffed. "Rose would come get me herself if I refused to come back and besides; I miss my family." She smiled lightly.

Lapis glared at the sand below her as if it was to blame for her misfortunes. "You mean you miss  _Sapphire_."

The blue girl was knocked to the floor when she bumped into Ruby who had become immobile all of a sudden. Lapis looked up to complain but gulped when she saw red eyes glaring at her.

Ruby was working on her anger but there were a few subjects that would make her snap; the mention of her short height, questioning her courage, and Sapphire. Not about how she was rejected but just mentioning the girl. It was as if only Ruby could talk about her but when Lapis did it was like so spoke of blasphemy.

"You have no right to talk to me about her," Ruby glared down at her like a stain on her white sneakers. "You don't know her. You don't know  _me_. And you have absolutely no fucking right to judge me."

It hurt to say the least. Having your possible crush scowl at you for trying to get closer to them.

"So stop walking around like you know everything about me and my situation and look in the damn mirror!" The red girl turned around. "You're not perfect and neither am I."

Lapis stood back up when Ruby started walking away. "Come o-"

She was cut off when the ground beneath them began to shake. Lapis fell to the floor again, landing on her butt, while Ruby struggled to stand her ground. Sand molded into the shape of a hand and erupted from the surface; stretching into the air.

"I guess this is the boss level," Ruby growled under her breath as she watched the large hand cautiously.

They were too wrapped up in the lanky hand that they failed to take notice of another hand forming; similar to the first. The second hand reached out and grabbed the first thing that it could; that just happened to be Lapis.

"Hey!" The blue girl struggled in the tight hold but it only made it worse; the hand tightened at her every move. "Let go of me!"

Ruby gasped, moving her vision from the left hand and the one that held Lapis. "Hold on Lapis!" Thinking impulsively, or rather not at all, the red girl ran to rescue Lapis.

The other hand followed the movement of the red girl who attempted to save her comrade.

* * *

Amethyst and Sapphire landed outside a tacky shack in the middle of the Desert Region. They walked inside apprehensively; looking at the useless knickknacks and souvenirs. It didn't take long for the purple gem to get sidetracked by holographic dancing monkey's that rested on the self.

' _The attention span of a squirrel…'_  The shorter blue gem thought.

Sapphire gave up on Amethyst and walked up to the counter. An obese boy in his early teens stood there reading the latest Crystal Gem Newspaper. She noticed the fancy script of his nametag that read  _Ronaldo_.

"Excuse me sir," She spoke softly, waiting patiently for him to catch her attention.

The blonde boy fixed his glasses and put his paper somewhere under the counter. "More customers," He grinned. "Those two girls must have advertised my shop because I never get this many people in one day!"

"Back track-" The purple gem had dethatched herself from the knickknacks in order to join Sapphire at the counter. "Two girls? What do these two girls look like?"

The blonde boy shrugged. "Just some blue girl; I couldn't read her id because she is probably a top player." The Crystal Gem members groaned in defeat and looked down at the floor. "Oh yeah-"

He scoffed and folded his arms. "She was totally in love with this really rude red girl," Ronaldo shook his head. "Love is blind."

"Rude?" The two girls grinned as they spoke in unison. "That's Ruby!"

The teenage boy moved back when the girl came closer to him with begging eyes.

"Where were they headed!" Sapphire asked; frowning quickly as she recalled his words. "And who was totally in love with her?" She felt jealousy itching at her skin.

Had she really wasted too much time figuring her feelings out that Ruby had to go and move on? It had only been two days! You can't just loose a feeling like that.

Amethyst gulped; changing the subject quickly. "She's probably with Lapis; that's the only blue gem who is ranked that high." She avoided the look that Sapphire was giving her. "Do you know where they were headed and how long ago?"

"Uh yeah, about three hours ago they bought some desert gear." He shrugged. "I don't know where they were headed but they looked like they would be staying out there for a while."

The purple gem nodded. "If I know Ruby, she is probably looking for boss levels…" She smiled at Ronaldo. "Thanks for your help man,"

"Anytime," He replied; going back to reading his newspaper.

The two gems walked out of the store. Amethyst readied herself for what was to come.

"Why would she be with Lapis?" The ice cold voice of Sapphire filled the air.

Amethyst shrugged. "Well she probably got hurt and Ruby helped her out,"

"That still doesn't explain why they're traveling together," Sapphire whispered lightly under her breath. "I didn't even know they knew each other like that…"

The purple gem groaned. "Who cares about that right now! Ruby wants you and only you; she's probably just doing Lapis a favor…Lord knows she needs one." Amethyst looked at Sapphire. "We should be worried about finding them because we are no step closer!"

Sapphire nodded. Right now wasn't the time to go into a jealous rant and try to examine their relationship. First she needed to find Ruby. And there was only one thing that would help them.

The blue girl sighed; she promised never to use her future vision. But Ruby had taught her to embrace it so she would. She would use it, not to see the future, but to see possible outcomes. The possible outcome that Ruby isn't traveling with Lapis, the possibility of them getting together, and the possibility of them making it out of the game.

She didn't see much but she did see a few possibilities of Lapis flirting with Ruby and kissing her in Ruby's time of weakness. Sapphire forced herself to push those visions away; just because she saw it didn't mean that it would come to pass.

"What are you-" Amethyst raised an eyebrow as she watched the girl who stood in a trance.

Blue eyes widened. There was a possibility of Ruby and Lapis getting crushed by two giant hands; their location not too far from here. With her speed she could make it there in no time.

"I think I know where they are," Sapphire composed herself and grabbed the other gems hand. "Come with me-"

The chubby girl allowed her eyes to widen. "What? How do you know?"

"I don't," Sapphire smiled. "I dwell in the possibilities."

* * *

Ruby groaned, frustrated, as her attempt to save Lapis failed. She was too focused on saving the water queen that she didn't notice another hand trailing behind her. With her back turned; the creature had captured her as well.

"Let me go!" The red girl huffed; quickly losing air as she continued to struggle. "I said!"

A familiar chuckle reached Ruby's ears and she looked down to see Amethyst preparing her whip. "We heard you the first time Rub's; just sit back and let us do the work."

"Us?" Ruby whispered to herself, gulping, when she saw Sapphire assisting the purple gem. "Oh,  _that_  us…" She no longer resisted the tight grip; she'd rather remain here than have to talk to the blue girl.

Amethyst extended her whip and wrapped it around the arm that was holding Lapis hostage. Once the grip was tight she pulled with all her might, smirking, when the sand began to turn brittle. It started falling apart as the purple gem broke it in half with her weapon.

Lapis was released into the air; wiggling about as she fell towards the ground.

"I'm on it," Sapphire ran full speed as she attempted to catch the water witch. "Are you okay?" She asked as she broke the girls fall.

Lapis nodded; giving a fake smile. "Yeah, thanks."

They all looked at Ruby; preparing to let her free.

They failed to notice the once destroyed hand beginning to come together again. The sand molded hand crept closer to Sapphire who continued to watch Amethyst strangle the other creature.

"Sapphire!" Ruby shouted; voice cracking as she watched the remolded hand smash the girl into the floor. "No…" There was a fire in her eyes as she watched the blue girl fall onto her back; Lapis splashed the beast with her water power to stop it from causing any more damage. "I said…"

Red eyes glared at the sand around her as tiny sparks surrounded her body. "Let me, go!" A large source of electricity erupted from Ruby and she shocked the hand around her.

The sand was zapped and fell apart as Ruby fell to the ground on her knees. Crawling towards Sapphire who rested on her back; holding her stomach in pain.

"No no no…" Ruby shook her head in denial.

Amethyst made sure the beast was truly destroyed before she ran over to where Sapphire had landed. She watched as Ruby held the girl close to her; the red girl was on the brink of tears.

"Electricity powers," Sapphire laughed roughly as she felt her vision blur. "You're full of surprises…" The girl then passed out and went limp within strong red arms.

Ruby sniffed up the snot that was running down her nostrils. "Sapphire-"

"We need to set up camp so she can get some rest." Lapis muttered; a bitterness filled her heart at the sight of Ruby clutching Sapphire close to her. "Maybe those tears can help her too,"

Amethyst nodded; patting Ruby on the back. "Yeah! Rose's tears never fail,"

"…" Ruby nodded with new found hope.

The red girl lifted Sapphire bridal style as they began to set up a tent for the night.

* * *

"There are no signs of internal injuries and her breathing has returned to normal," Amethyst said. "If anything; she just needs rest. She should be awoke soon and then we can teleport back to Rose,"

Ruby said nothing.

Lapis watched Ruby from the wall, arms crossed, a look of sorrow on her face.

Amethyst sighed at the tension. "I'm going to go to that store and get Sapphire some food for when she wakes up," When they remained quiet she rolled her eyes and walked out; whispering to herself. "I'm sick of all this drama…"

The sound of her teleporting didn't quite reach Ruby's ears as she sat as close to Sapphire's bed as she could from her wooden chair. She fiddled with her hands, nervously, as she prayed for the girl to wake up. There were so many things she had to ask her, like; why was she looking for her, what had been going on at the temple without her and was she still with Lars?

She also had some things that she wanted to tell her. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, how much she had hurt her and the love that she still had for her.

Ruby shook her head. She promised herself that she would ignore her feelings in order to keep Sapphire safe.

"Now what?" The voice of Lapis broke her out of her thoughts.

Ruby didn't move her gaze from her hands. "Now…I wait until Sapphire wakes up and I go back to join the Crystal Gems."

"What about me?" Her voice was light; it sounded as if it would break at any moment. "I thought we were a pretty good team-"

Ruby glared at her hands. "Damn it Lapis this isn't a game! I can't be with you," Her red eyes flickered to the sleeping girl. "I have to protect people who need me-"

Lapis caught where Ruby's gaze was and glared. "I  _need_ you!" She begged Ruby. "Why can't you just stay with me?"

"I can't Lapis," Ruby shook her head; not looking away from Sapphire. "Sapphire-"

Lapis stopped her; completely heartbroken. "You still want her?" Her voice cracked. "After everything you said to me-"

"Lapis!" Ruby finally snapped; moving her gaze to the waterbender.

In their heated argument they failed to notice Sapphire twitch lightly.

"You knew of I felt…" Ruby shook her head. "No. How I feel about her!" She pointed at Sapphire blindly. "It was and always will be  _her_."

Lapis sniffed. "What about all the things you said? You're the only person who has ever been kind to me; you have to feel what I do." She begged.

"I was just being nice Lapis," Ruby sighed; running a hand through her curls. "You've been through a lot with Jasper beating on you-"

Lapis shook her head. "Don't even go there."

"You've mistaken my friendship for something else, Lapis." Ruby whispered softly as she watched Lapis deny it all. "You've taken my kindness and turned it around and developed a crush on me-"

"No," The blue girl smiled weakly. "I love you-"

Ruby pitied her. "You don't know what love is…" She looked down. "I think that you should take some time away for yourself and discover what you need; because it isn't me…"

"I know what I need," She wiped her tears away and ran outside of the tent. "Goodbye Ruby." The flap closed behind her and the sound of her teleporting filled the silence.

Ruby resisted the urge to punch something. She slammed herself further down into her seat with a scowl on her face. She had been far too hard on Lapis but she didn't want to lead her on any longer.

"What are you waiting for?"

Ruby gasped as she watched Sapphire sit up in her bed. She ran to her side quickly.

"Sap-"

The blue girl interrupted her. "Well? Go after her already," She folded her arms in frustration.

"No," Ruby pulled the chair closer and grabbed both of Sapphire's hands. "I'm not leaving you again."

Sapphire scoffed. "You didn't seem to have a problem doing it before," She snatched her hands from the warmth of Ruby's and busied herself by picking at her sheets.

Of course she would feel this way. She left without saying anything so she couldn't expect Sapphire to greet her with open arms.

"I'm sorry-" Ruby tried.

Sapphire crossed her arms. "Amethyst told me why you left but I want to hear your own story."

"Sh-she did." Ruby flushed, did that mean that Sapphire knew her true feelings. "Well…I ugh,"

She could almost see the icy gaze behind blue bangs. "No more lies Ruby."

"It was Lars," Ruby sighed; shoulders dropping. "After we kissed I couldn't stop thinking about you and I was finally realizing how I felt about you. Amethyst helped me sum up enough courage to talk to you about it but then I saw you and him…" She spat out bitterly. " _Kissing._ "

Ruby looked down at her hands. "I thought that you'd be happier with him and I didn't want to ruin your happiness…So I left,"

She looked at Sapphire who remained stoic; Ruby pleaded. "I'm sorry! I should have at least told you-"

"You should have," Sapphire nodded.

Ruby groaned. "I know but I saw you and Lars-"

"Why were you with Lapis?" Sapphire cut her off sharply.

Ruby was shocked, was Sapphire actually jealous? Did that mean she was actually having feelings towards her as well?

"That's a long story," Ruby chuckled and sat at the foot of the bed. "When I landed in the desert I heard someone screaming in pain so I walked over to see what was wrong." Ruby played with the bracelet Sapphire gave her. "There Lapis was just lying in the sand with blood and sores all over her body. So I run over and use the tears that Rose gave me and I heal her up."

She smiles lightly. "At first she gets on my freaking nerves but then I realize that she is just as alone as I was and we join teams. I find out that Jasper has been the one beating her so I try to get her to join us; no one deserves that." Ruby shook her head. "She's still scared of him finding her so we go to the store and by some supplies for the desert,"

Ruby takes a breath. "We get into another stupid argument and I apologize to her later and make amends. We walk for a day straight without finding anything but then we find the sand beast and you were there for the rest."

She looked up at Sapphire. "I've explained why I'm here," Ruby raised an eyebrow. "But why are  _you_  here?"

Sapphire leaned back in the bed. "I didn't understand why you left and..." She hesitated. "I was trying to understand my feelings for you,"

The red gem ignored the way her heart pounded in her chest.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Your feelings for me? Aren't you already with someone?" She challenged.

"What are you-" The blue girl frowned.

Ruby was sick of beating around the bush and just came out with it.

"Are you with Lars?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"Are you with Lapis?" Sapphire shot back coldly.

Ruby shook her head quietly.

"Neither am I," Sapphire whispered. "He kissed me but I pushed him away and he understands that we're only friends."

Ruby didn't know if she should be relived or angry. All this time it had just been a misunderstanding? She wanted to punch herself for being so hot headed; of course Sapphire didn't like that loser.

The red girl sighed. "Why were we fighting?"

"Really?" Came the heated response from the usually cooled girl.

"No," Ruby sat across from her on the bed Indian style. "I mean why are we doing it? Lapis and I aren't an item and I hope that you and Lars aren't…" She said hesitantly; still weary of heartbreak.

Sapphire confirmed. "No. We aren't; I only have eyes for someone else," Her hand twitched and resisted the urge to reach a red one.

"We have such little time in this game or maybe we have a lot. We don't know," Ruby sighed. "Sapphire, we could honestly die at any moment. I don't want to waste time fighting over stupid misunderstandings."

The blue girl looked up shyly. "You still haven't told me how you feel," She bit her lip; unaware of Ruby watching her.

"Well…I love-" Ruby grabbed her hands and moved closer so that their knees touched. "How patient you are with me and the way you fight in battle; so graceful." She smiled. "I love the sound of your voice; it's so soft and demanding…"

Ruby continued. "I love running my hands through your hair whenever you let me and…" She pushed bangs away and looked into light blue eyes. "I love you,"

Ruby smirked, watching Sapphire struggle to look away from her lips, and pulled away when Sapphire leaned in to kiss her.

"Ruby!" Sapphire groaned.

The red gem shook her head and put more distance between them. "You haven't told me how  _you_  feel," She teased.

"Well…" She thought as if it were a struggle. "I guess there are a few things,"

Ruby pinched her softly. "I told you-it's only fair,"

Sapphire fixed her bangs back over her eyes and smiled. "I like how impulsive you are; you never have to think twice when thinking is the only thing I do. You're strong, literally, and you make me feel safe." She went on. "I also like you hair,"

Ruby laughed softly.

"I'm serious, never cut it." She continued when Ruby promised. "I like how you helped me embrace my visions and taught me that it's a part of me," She blushed. "I love it when you hold me and I just like how happy you make me…" Sapphire pressed her head against Ruby's.

"And I love you too. I'm sorry for taking so long to realize it," Sapphire whispered; peeking an eye open. "Can we kiss now?"

Ruby giggled and replied by pressing her lips to Sapphire's plump ones. Their lips moved together in a soft and slow chaste kiss.

There was no reason to rush.

Ruby pulled away first; kissing her nose quickly and opened her eyes. "I don't want to go back to the temple yet," She kissed her on her cheek. "Come home with me," She pleaded.

"Okay," Came the response from Sapphire.

They joined hands, smiles on their faces, as Ruby teleported them to her apartment in Beach City. A bright light shined and Amethyst walked in a moment later.

"Rub's is Sapphire-" She dropped her bags and cursed. "They left again!"

* * *

They landed in a small apartment that belonged to Ruby. It was a nice small size for a college student. She had a living room that merged into the kitchen and her bedroom was down a small narrow hall across from the bathroom.

She motioned for Sapphire to sit at the kitchen table as she scanned her menu bar for food. "You've been asleep for a while so I guess you're pretty hungry; what would you like?"

"Well," She teased. "I remember someone promising to cook for me someday."

Ruby perked up. "Yeah!" She smiled brightly and pulled out her cooking utensils; placing them on the counter. "Any requests?"

"How about something simple like grilled chicken?" Sapphire suggested.

Ruby accepted the challenge. "It will only take a few seconds." She smirked. "Things are easier to do in the game and not as time consuming in real life."

Sapphire watched the girl cook with a smile on her face.

* * *

When the food was finished they sat down across from each other and ate silently. The grilled chicken was coated with different spices that brought out the true flavor. Ruby also cooked a side of mashed potatoes and some steamed vegetables. It tasted delicious and the presentation was incredible.

"That was amazing," The blue girl smiled honestly. "Better than Greg's."

Ruby placed the dishes in the sink and blushed. "It wasn't that good," She began to wash the two plates. "So I guess we should head back to the temple and get some rest…" Regret was evident in her voice.

Sapphire hesitated. "O-or I could stay here," She didn't meet Ruby's eyes. "It's just that I don't really feel like dealing with their questions when we get back."

"Tell me about it," When she finished washing the dishes she grabbed Sapphire's hand. "You can sleep in my room while I sleep on the couch,"

Sapphire remained quiet, lost in her thoughts, as she was led to the room. They walked down the narrow hall and stopped when they reached the door at the end. Ruby pushed it open and grabbed one of the white pillows on the bed.

Her room was a nice size. There was a bed in the middle of the room that was queen sized, a dresser stood to the right of it and a desk stood next to the door. There was a light brown shaggy rug in the middle of the floor and Sapphire almost tripped over something furry.

Did she hear something mewl at her?

"What is  _that_?" Sapphire asked with wide eyes.

Ruby giggled. "This," She picked up what looked like a small dog, but it wasn't, it was a pink lion. "Is Lion; my…Lion." She laughed.

"You can have pets in the game?" She was intrigued by the cute creature. "Amazing,"

Ruby scoffed childishly. "He's not a pet. I found him when I was a solo player," She smiled when he jumped out of her arms and sniffed Sapphire. "He has cool power up's just like anyone else in this game; and it's good to have someone to come home to after tough missions."

"I see," Sapphire whispered, kneeling down to run her hands through his long locks. "Does he like me?"

Lion roared softly, nudging her hand before walking outside of the room to leave them alone.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, but he pretty much just does his own thing…One time he helped me out during a boss battle; I didn't even remember leaving his lion door open!"

Sapphire giggled softly and she held back a yawn.

Ruby watched her stifle the yawn and smiled. "You better get some sleep," She pointed behind her. "I'll be on the couch if you need me."

Sapphire looked between the large bed big enough for two and at the retreating form of Ruby. She bit her lip.

"Wait," She grabbed a red hand; shivering when their gems grazed one another. "The bed is big enough for two people and…I don't really want to be alone." She looked up shyly. "It's stupid but-"

Ruby smiled and shook her head. "Nothing you say is stupid," She kissed her through her bangs just because she could. "Which side do you want?"

* * *

Ruby lay awake in bed with her back to Sapphire. She couldn't sleep with the girl this close to her. She could feel her hands sweating under the suddenly hot sheets that trapped her. Ruby tried not to toss too much in fear of waking the girl beside her.

"Ruby," A soft voice carried in the dark.

Damn. She made too much noise and woke up Sapphire.

She gulped. "Sorry sorry," Ruby rolled over to look at the girl. "I didn't mean to wake you…"

"You didn't, I can't really sleep either." Sapphire reassured. "What's your real name?" Sapphire looked for Ruby in the dark room. "In the real world I mean."

Ruby smiled at her. "It's Jasmine, but Ruby is my middle name,"

The two gems lay together in bed with the moonlight filling the room. Ruby and Sapphire lay on their sides; facing each other. The purple blanket was covering them.

"Same here," Sapphire smiled. "My real name is Amy but Sapphire is my middle name…" She sighed softly. "I don't want to go back…"

Ruby sighed softly. "Me either but the others are probably worried, Sapph." She kissed her forehead. "We'll get to see the family again,"

"I do miss them." Sapphire giggled. "But I want to know everything about you; like how-"

The door cracked open before the blue gem could continue. Lion roared softly and jumped into bed with them, on top of the covers.

"Look who came crawling back…" Ruby smirked as she patted him on the head.

Sapphire shook her head. "Where does he even go?"

Lion pulled something out of his fur and handed it to Sapphire. The lovers raised an eyebrow at the glowing bracelet that was given to them.

"A…Glow bracelet?" Ruby frowned. "Of all the things to bring back Lion!" She folded her arms in a grumpy manner. "I wanted another sword…"

The pink beast landed a heavy paw on Ruby's head and groaned.

Sapphire stared at the pink bracelet and shrugged. "Maybe it'll be significant later on," She placed it on her wrist.

"I doubt it," Lion growled at Ruby. "I-I mean…I'm so grateful! Let's just go to sleep," She tussled the beasts hair before kissing Sapphire one more time.

"Goodnight," The lovers whispered in the night.

Lion roared softly. His eyes turned a bright white and he looked out the window. A black shadow was lurking outside of it watching them.

"What is it boy?" Ruby mumbled.

When she looked out the window the figure was gone. Lion huffed, nudging the girl back to bed. Ruby shrugged and proceeded to go to sleep.


	8. The Island

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 8: The Island**

"Are you sure you won't need us?" Ruby asked frantically. "Wh-what if another boss level turns up and…"

Rose placed a hand on top of the red gems head and smiled softly. "Ruby we'll be fine without you two for a while," She removed her hand. "You two deserve a break and we haven't really found any boss levels lately."

After everything that had happened Rose and the others felt like the two gems deserved a break. There weren't many boss activity sightings so they had time to spare. Rose said that she would continue to search in their absence and the rest of the team would continue to train.

"Yeah Rub's!" Amethyst shouted from the kitchen counter with a grin. "Take a few days off; we'll contact you two if anything comes up,"

Pearl nodded from the couch. "Take a break Ruby…We all need one after all that happened," She smiled softly.

Hesitantly Ruby agreed. "If you say so," She glared at Lars through the window who was sitting outside with Sapphire. "Lord knows I need a break." Her eye twitched when the boy hugged Sapphire close.

Ruby had to remind herself that Lars and Sapphire were only friends. Sapphire had told her about how he kissed her and also how they became friends again. Ruby didn't want to tell the girl who she could and couldn't be friends with so just tried to accept it. It wasn't like she could command the blue girl to stay away from him.

In some way she had to thank Lars for kind of bringing them back together; even if it was in the most idiotic way. Ruby still had to restrain herself from punching Lars whenever thoughts of him kissing Sapphire filled her mind.

"Don't worry," Amethyst bumped her shoulder with Ruby's. "He and Sadie totally have a thing."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Really? I always thought she could do better," She shrugged.

"She totally could but love is love," Ruby couldn't deny that. "Speaking of love; you still have to tell me what happened with you and Sapphire."

Pearl smiled; closing her book. "I would also like to hear,"

"Come on," Ruby groaned; looking to Rose for support. "Tell them to mind their own business!"

Rose smiled bashfully. "I would but…I kind of want to hear it as well," Her eyes sparkled.

"Not you too!" Ruby groaned; slapping her face.

Blue eyes watched silently as a certain red gem spoke to the other gem members. Sapphire smiled softly; everything finally seemed to be going their way. She and Ruby were…Well they haven't really talked about that yet but they both admitted to loving each other so that had to mean something.

"You look better," Lars mentioned from beside her; she turned her gaze away from Ruby and looked at him. "Last time you were a wreck but now that you're with, Ruby," He said her name easier than he had been before. "You're happy…You both are," He smiled.

Sapphire nodded. "Yeah it's great…I can't wait to get away for a while," She looked over at him. "We will only be gone for two days, maybe shorter, and after that you and I can hang out again." She promised.

"Great," His eyes flickered to Sadie who was talking to some guy on the beach. "Just great…" He leaned his chin into his hand in aggravation.

The blue gem followed his gaze and smiled softly. "What? She can't talk to other guys without your permission?" She tried again when Lars gave her an eye roll. "We all know she likes you but she isn't going to do anything until you make the first move."

"Pft," He scoffed, leaning back into the porch step. "Did that work with you and muscles?"

Sapphire glared at him coldly. "She was going to tell me until you kissed me lover boy."

Lars fought the urge to punch himself for bringing up such a sore topic. Sapphire had made it a point that she was willing to look past everything and remain friends. But that didn't mean she wouldn't speak her mind when he was out of line.

"Sorry."

Sapphire hummed softly beside him. "It's okay," They both turned around when the screen door opened. "Are you ready?" Sapphire asked her beloved; smiling up at the red girl.

"Yeah," Ruby grinned; pulling the blue girl up to her feet. "We will see you in a few days Lars." She gave him a fist pound. "Don't let Amethyst touch my stuff,"

Lars smirked. "I'm on it," His smirk dissolved into a soft smile. "You two have fun."

The short gems thanked the boy and called to their menu bar. A bright light appeared and they were gone. Leaving Lars alone on the step; his gaze locked on a certain blonde.

* * *

"What grade are you in?" Sapphire asked with a hint of fear.

Ruby looked up at Sapphire who was sitting on her broad shoulders. "Same time?" The blue girl nodded.

"Twelfth,"

"Eleventh,"

Sapphire gasped, pulling at the curly hair that was in her reach. "I'm older than you!" She giggled softly.

"Are you surprised?" Ruby smiled. "Amethyst and I are like the children in the family."

The couple had teleported to a secluded island where dozens of players took refuge. People who inhabited this area did not partake in battling. They just lived normal lives inside the game. It was a great place to remain oblivious to the dangers in the game.

The houses were a nice comfortable size, the beach was clean and there was absolutely no boss activity.

It was the closest thing to bliss that you could have in the game.

"This is nice," Sapphire sighed softly as she took in their surroundings.

They were walking on the dirt path that went through the forest. The sound of animals moving about filled their ears. Ruby pulled Sapphire's legs closer to her chest when the girl began slipping off her neck. The blue girl had begged to sit on her shoulders and Ruby couldn't deny her anything. It wasn't like she weighed much.

"There is a rumor about this forest, y'know." Ruby spoke. "I'm guessing nobody told you though,"

Sapphire frowned and glanced down at the red girl. "Told me what?"

"No," Ruby shook her head. "I don't want to scare you…"

The blue girl smirked. "Try me."

"Well, there is a story about how this place is haunted." Ruby frowned when Sapphire laughed. "I'm serious! A young player was the first person to discover this island. She didn't like fighting so she made it her job to keep this place peaceful for others who were just like her."

"One day these players came to the island searching for boss levels. The girl told them that there weren't any but they still wanted to battle her; some say they were corrupt gems." Sapphire looked around the misty forest, paranoid. "So she fought them in an attempt to make the players leave but she got stabbed during battle."

Ruby went on. "Some people say she was the first player to die in the game."

"Her ashes floated into the forest and now her spirit rests here. Whenever people battle on this island there are stories of them getting dragged out here, in the murky forest." Sapphire gulped. "She haunts those who corrupt her peaceful land in an act of revenge for how she died."

A bright white figure caught Sapphire's attention. Her face turned a pale blue as the figure lifted their hand towards her. The pink bracelet on her hand began to reach out to the figure calling to it.

"Ruby…" The blue girl whispered too soft for the red girl to hear.

"There are rumors of her still roaming the lands," The red girl smirked. "In search for those who wronged her in the past,"

Sapphire tugged Ruby's afro tightly. "Ruby!" She hissed in a sharp whisper.

"Ouch! Easy on my hair Sapphire it was just a joke," Ruby groaned as she slapped blue hands away. "There is no ghos…Whoa." Red eyes widened at the figure across from them.

Ruby placed her beloved softly on the ground and went to approach the figure.

"Don't go near that thing!" Sapphire shrieked.

"It's not a ghost Sapph," Red eyes softened. "It's a little girl; the one I saw in the vision you passed on to me! She must be lost," She jogged over to the child.

Blue eyes focused on the figure that now resembled a little girl. The fog in the forest must have played tricks on her eyes. The child looked faint as her eyes closed and she prepared to hit the ground.

"Whoa!" Sapphire quickly ran to catch the little girl who passed out. "I've got you," She sat on her knees as she searched for any injuries. "She isn't hurt."

Ruby reached Sapphire and the mystery child. "She doesn't have a player id so she must be pretty strong or has some great cheat codes." She looked at Sapphire. "We should bring her to our place so she can rest. Then when she wakes up we can ask her where her parents are,"

"Okay," Sapphire stood up with the child in her arms.

The pink bracelet around her wrist glowed brighter than ever.

* * *

The house they rented was equipped with one bedroom and a living room that merged into the kitchen. White curtains swayed in the breeze that came through from the cracked windows. Sapphire and Ruby each sat at the edge of the bed. Their eyes remained glued to the girl sleeping in the middle of their queen sized mattress.

"Why is it just lying there?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Is it dead?"

Sapphire slapped her shoulder softly. "She; must have passed out from wandering around too long. Maybe she's lost and was looking for her parents…" She bit her lip at the alternative.

Ruby had no problem mentioning the darker alternative.

"Or she logged on without any," The red girl spoke the bitter truth that Sapphire couldn't. "What if she doesn't have any parents' in the game, what happens to her? Apparently she is too weak on her own."

The blue girl shrugged. "I have no idea."

Ruby sighed in frustration. "Well maybe-"

A squeak from the bed stopped her. They turned around to see the girl lying on her back with her hazel eyes wide open. The girl adjusted her glasses and took in her surroundings. Her long brown hair fell down her shoulders when she sat up.

The girl jumped back to the headboard when she noticed the two gems watching her.

"You're awake," Sapphire smiled softly. "You were passed out in the forest. Do you remember anything?"

The child's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She shook her head and whispered a 'no'.

Sapphire hid her disappointment with a small smile. "That's okay…What's your name? Do you remember that?"

"I-I…Con" The girl stuttered. "Co…nie…Connie," She confirmed.

The blue gem grinned. "Connie, that's such a cute name. My name is Sapphire and this is Ruby," She motioned to the red girl.

"Ruey…" Connie struggled to pronounce the new words with a pout.

The red gem placed a strong hand on top of Connie's head. "It's okay if you can't pronounce it, squirt." She smiled softly. "Just call us whatever seems right."

The child bit her lip, thinking.

Then Connie's eyes brightened as she pointed at Ruby. "Mommy!"

"Wh-what," Ruby stuttered, bewildered. "Who me?" She shrieked; looking to Sapphire for help.

She wasn't old enough to have any children. Her mother would disown her!

Connie pointed at Sapphire. "Mama!"

"…" The blue girl was speechless.

Connie dropped her hand. She mistook their stunned faces and thick silence for disapproval. Tears began to form in her eyes.

The blue girl panicked; trying to cease any tears from falling. "Yeah okay," Sapphire jumped in with a broad smile. "Mama and mommy works,"

"It does?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

Sapphire looked at her sharply. "It does," She looked back at Connie with a grin.

Connie smiled as she jumped into blue arms. "Mama!"

For a moment Ruby forgot about how this little girl could be separated from her parents. Instead, she watched Sapphire spin the little girl in the air. They each wore similar smiles. Ruby felt herself grinning at the display.

Maybe they could pretend for just a while.

"Are you hungry?" Sapphire smirked. "Your mom is a pretty good cook," She glanced at Ruby, a covert message being passed between them.

The red gem nodded in understanding.

"Good is an understatement,"

* * *

Sapphire sat on the couch next to Connie with a spicy burrito in her hand. In her other hand was the Crystal Gems Newspaper. She was skimming the documents for anything out of the ordinary. Ruby sat in the single chair across from them, eating the meal she had prepared.

Connie tugged on Sapphire's jacket; she and Ruby had removed their fighting clothes long ago. "Taste?" The child pointed to her mouth.

"Oh no sweetie," Sapphire placed the newspaper on the table in front of her. "This is way too spicy for you…"

Ruby scoffed. "I think she can handle it!" She handed Connie half of her burrito. "If you want to try it I'm not stopping you," She smiled while Sapphire frowned.

Connie took the offered food and bit into it. Sapphire and Ruby watched curiously as a wide smile appeared on Connie's face.

"Good!" She ate the rest of it. "More!"

"You've got a love for spicy food just like me," Ruby smirked; feeling proud. "I guess I should cook more spicy foods then,"

"More spice!" Connie chanted.

Ruby joined in. "More spice!"

"No." Sapphire deadpanned.

Ruby scratched the back of her neck. "Guess that's the answer to that,"

Connie frowned. "No spice?"

"No spice kiddo," Ruby stuck her tongue out at Sapphire. "Mama has put her foot down."

Sapphire laughed when Connie stuck her tongue out like Ruby.

* * *

Soft snores filled the living room. Connie lay on her side in the small couch with a blanket covering her. Ruby leaned against the doorframe in their bedroom with her arms crossed; watching Connie from a distance. She looked at Sapphire who sat on the edge of their bed.

"What do you think?" Sapphire asked.

The red gem sighed. "I think she looks old enough to know how to pronounce our names." She glared at the floor. "Somehow she has the mind of a five month old and has no memory…"

"But what do we do with her? I know we can't keep her," Sapphire bit her lip. "If we could…"

"Sapphire." Ruby said firmly. "She has a home and we need to find it. We can only hope that she gets her memory later," She moved to sit next to her beloved.

Sapphire moved in closer so that their shoulders were brushing. "We still haven't talked…" She fiddled with the edges of her hair in a nervous manner.

You would think that after all this time she would stop being nervous around Ruby.

"About what?" Ruby muttered obviously.

The blue girl swallowed. "About…us and what this is." She pointed between them.

"Shut up," Ruby chuckled. "If you don't know how I feel about you by now, I don't know how else I can prove it." She went serious when Sapphire said nothing. "I'm not one for labels but I do know that I love you and only you. I want to spend time getting to know everything about you; inside and out of the game." She bit her lip. "So I guess I would call you my…Girlfriend?"

She looked at Sapphire for approval.

Sapphire nodded, trying to hide her smile by biting her lip. "That's cool,"

"Really? I give a whole heartfelt paragraph and all you say is, 'that's cool'." Ruby teased. "That's weak,"

Sapphire shoved her lightly. "You're weak."

"I'm weak?" Ruby raised an eyebrow; challenging her.

Sapphire wrestled her on the bed. "Did I stutter?" She grinned when she pinned the girl to the mattress.

"I let you win," Ruby gave up on fighting and leaned up to kiss the girl on top of her.

Or at least she attempted to.

"Mama," Connie stepped into their room rubbing her eyes. "Mommy?"

Sapphire moved away from Ruby with shocking speed, causing the red gem to frown, and looked at Connie. "Yes sweetie?"

"Bored!" Connie jumped in between them on the bed. "Bored," She pouted.

Ruby grinned; not being able to be upset with the child for interrupting them. "Then let's go have some fun."

* * *

"Are you sure she should be here?" Sapphire hissed, watching Connie wander ahead of them in the cave with Lion. "I know you said that there aren't any boss levels here but this is still a side quest; she could get hurt!" She whisper shouted.

Ruby hushed her. "Shh, just look at her." She smiled.

Connie hugged Lion and snuggled into his pink fur. Lion decided to tag along with them on the quest; not really surprising Ruby.

She was used to him showing up out of nowhere.

The beast had caught up with them just as they were leaving the house. He seemed to be infatuated by the little girl; and they had become quick friends. It was like they had already met before.

"She is cute," Sapphire followed the red girl through the cave.

Ruby scoffed. "She's not cute; she's a warrior just like her mo…" The red girl stopped herself.

She had to remind herself that Connie probably already had parents somewhere else. They must be worried sick.

"It's okay," Sapphire grabbed her hand, smiling. "I'm getting attached to her too. Maybe it's okay though; she is happy with us and us with her…Right?"

Ruby nodded.

"What about her family?" Ruby whispered, looking at Connie run around Lion in circles. "Even if they aren't in the game someone outside is waiting for her…"

Sapphire squeezed her hand. "Then we should probably watch over her for them until we get her out,"

"Yeah-"

Lion's roar interrupted Ruby. The gems snapped their heads up to see what the commotion was.

There in the cave, was a large bear like creature who stood on its hind legs; towering over Connie. The beast had long dark fur that shielded his vision. It most likely used its other heightened senses to search for foes.

His black snout wiggled when he sniffed the air. He snapped his head in the child's direction and licked his lips.

Sharp claws were extracted as it pounced, Connie being his main attraction. Lion jumped in front of her protectively and let loose a roar; his sound waves colliding with the bears' stomach. The beast was simply pushed back but not injured.

Ruby growled, pulling on her bracelet string, extracting her shield and ran up to the beast. "Lion keep Connie safe!" She shouted to her pink pet as Sapphire followed her.

Her only focus was on keeping Connie safe.

Lion roared, actually following her instructions, and used his mouth to carry Connie to safety.

"Mommy!" Connie fought to be freed.

Sapphire used her speed to go to the bears' blind side. She extracted her red sword and swung with all her might. A dull thud sounded at the contact.

Sapphire gasped.  _His skin is just as strong as my shield…_

The bear growled furiously and turned to face her. He swatted her like a fly; tossing her across the cave. Sapphire fell to the floor with a thud. She landed on her side and groaned; her blue eyes cracked open just in time to watch her heart level drop from one hundred to sixty.

"Sapphire!" Ruby, now distracted, looked behind her to ensure the girls safety.

In her distraction sharp claws collided with her shield. The red gem was also thrown back, not having time to adjust her footing, and was tossed into the dirt next her to lover. Ruby struggled to grab her shield that she had dropped; watching in horror as Connie stood tall and approached the beast.

"No you idiot!" Ruby growled, still unable to move, and glared at the pink beast. "Lion stop her!"

Lion remained sitting. His eyes were a bright white color as he watched Connie carefully.

"Connie no," Sapphire pleaded with a hand reached out.

The child looked at the beast towering above her and smiled. "Mama, mommy, it's okay."

Sapphire turned her head away when the beast threw his claws at the child. A clangor filled the hallow walls of the cave. His claws did not make contact with Connie. Ruby gasped; an invisible shield was protecting the child from getting hurt.

"Co-Connie?" Ruby whispered.

Sapphire looked up and felt her body freeze. The words 'immortal object' floated above Connie's head.

The blue girl gaped. "How is this…Possible?"

"See," Connie flicked her right hand, the beast dissolved into blue dust, turning to face the shocked gems. "It's fine." She flashed them a smile.

* * *

Lion lie on his stomach, head in paws, as he watched the players. Connie was sitting down on the floor with her legs crossed; looking down at her hands. Sapphire and Ruby stood towering over her like disapproving parents.

They demanded answers.

"Connie," Sapphire spoke softly. "What…" She was lost for words.

Ruby wasn't; she had questions and had no problem voicing them. "So I guess you have your memory back?"

"Yes," Connie smiled up at them. "Ruby, Sapphire,"

They both gasped at the unnatural use of their names.

"Everything in Crystal Gems Online is controlled by a single massive system. This system controls the boss levels, weapons and even the creatures." She adjusted her glasses. "The system was made to act on its own and away from the players of CGO in order to keep a balance in the game. It was created to help control the emotional wellbeing of the players. Mental health control system, prototype one codename; Connie,"

The child smiled. "That is who I am."

"What?" Ruby frowned in confusion. "Y-you're a program?"

Connie looked down at her hands. "I was designed to help keep players at ease. I am able to create certain feelings that help players in the game. That is how I was able to stimulate such emotions from you two," Her glasses shinned in the dim light as she clenched her hands together. "Nothing about me is real, not even my tears…"

They watched as a stray tear fell down her cheek only to vanish within thin air.

"I'm so sorry," The system whispered.

Sapphire reached her hand out. "Connie," The girl stopped when the program pulled away.

"What about your amnesia?" Ruby asked stoically. "How do you explain a system with memory loss?"

Connie explained. "About a month ago the game banned me from interacting with any of the players, I don't know why…I wasn't allowed to help them and all I could do was watch." She tightened her fist. "It was horrible. When they discovered that they could die in the game many of them just jumped off of the sky dome and fell; killing themselves before the game could."

"They were overcome with so many intense emotions; like depression and anger. Some players couldn't take it and they went insane." She went on. "In other cases I would go an assist those players but I wasn't allowed; and I was forced to watch the terror unfold. Little by little errors began to build up inside of me and I fell apart…"

Connie smiled.

"Then one day I saw two players; they were so different from the other players that I watched. Despite what was going on in the game they did not allow darkness to overcome them and they replaced it with joy, peace and love."

Ruby and Sapphire gasped softly at the realization.

"I wandered the game trying to get as close to you as possible without being detected." Connie said still looking down.

Ruby nodded. "That's why you were in the forest?"

"Yes." Connie looked at Lion. "I gave Lion my bracelet, to give to you, in means to attract you to me." She lifted her hand.

Sapphire gasped when the bracelet brightened.

"It wasn't you who sent Ruby that vision but it was me calling you here; so I could see you." Tears fell down the systems face and dissolved into the air. "I've wanted to meet you two for so long…" She wiped her tears away but more began forming. "That's crazy right? It should be impossible for me to feel such emotions I'm just a system…"

Sapphire held her heart. "Maybe what you're feeling is real human emotion…"

Connie ignored her. "Ruby-Sapphire…" She smiled as tears continued to fall. "I want to thank you both for your generosity; you took me in and treated me as your own." She looked away. "But I'm not human…I'm just a program that helped trap you in the game. It's my fault that you too are here."

"No Connie," Sapphire shook her head. "None of this is because of you-"

"It's my fault and you shouldn't be around me!" Connie shouted in despair; moving away from Sapphire's reaching arms.

The blue gem shook her head in denial. "No. That's not true Connie-"

"It is true-" Connie whispered.

Ruby glared at the system. "It's not!" Sapphire and Connie stopped talking at the outburst. "You're just as much of a victim as we are and I couldn't care less that you're a program." She holds her heart just like Sapphire. "You are our child and we love you…"

Ruby smiled. "It wouldn't be the same if you weren't a part of what we have," She offers her hand to Connie. "Please, come back with us to the temple and be a part of our family."

"You still want me?" More tears were created. "After what you found out what I am a part of?"

Sapphire grinned. "Nothing could stop us from loving you,"

"Love…" Connie scoffed. "I'm a system I shouldn't even know of such emotion…Is that what I'm feeling?" She looked down at her hands. "I'm so confused…"

Ruby stepped forward; kneeling down beside the girl on the floor. "Connie; you are feeling these human emotions now because the game doesn't control you anymore." She smiled. "Just tell us, what do you want?"

"I want…" Her bottom lip quivered. "What I want…" Connie held her arms out to the two gems; crying. "I want to be with you; mama and mommy!"

That was enough for Sapphire to react.

The blue gem slide down to the floor and pulled the girl into her arms. "You will be," She smiled.

"Yeah," Ruby wrapped her arms around them both. "We can be a family…"

Lion roared in agreement and crawled in between them.

"Lion too?" Connie asked Sapphire hopefully.

The blue gem smiled. "Lion too,"

A beeping sound broke up their family reunion. Ruby had received a message.

"Who is it?" Sapphire asked; watching Ruby open it for them both to see.

Ruby sighed. "It's work," She joked dryly. "Rose said that she's sad to cut our vacation short but they've found another boss level and they need us…"

"Hear that Connie?" Sapphire kissed her forehead. "You get to meet the family."

Connie giggled at the tingling kiss. Family; it was something that she would finally have.

Ruby stood up with a smile. "Come on then…I bet they're going to be shocked to see you." She patted the child on the head.

"Tell me about it," Sapphire smirked.

* * *

After wandering around the Desert Region; Lapis returned home. To her apartment that is. She pulled out her key and turned the doorknob opening the door; stepping inside and turning the lights on. Her tears had long dried since the incident and all she wanted to do was get some sleep.

She jumped back into the closed door when she saw an ugly creature sitting in her living room chair.

"About time you got back," Jasper smirked from Lapis' couch. "Where were you? I couldn't spot you on the map," He tried to make conversation as if they were long lost friends.

Lapis said nothing; jaw tightening as she grinded her teeth together in anger.

"No matter, I know you were with Ruby," Jasper smiled. "Now that you've gotten in on their good side I bet they wouldn't question you asking to rejoin them," His smile turned sinister.

He wouldn't…

Lapis shook her head. "No Jasper please…"

She could never betray Ruby's trust. Not after all the girl had done for her.

"Oh yes. It's a great plan don't you think?" He stood up. "You join their group and tell me if anything of importance happens; like weaknesses, boss levels and any secrets that they are hiding."

Lapis glared at him. "And if I refuse?"

"Oh Lapis," He griped her chin tightly. "I'm not giving you a choice." He shoved her down to the floor triumphantly. "You have two days to join them; when you do I want you to let me know."

A bright light shinned and he was gone.

Lapis glared at her clenched fist. She was a fool to think that she was free. Once Jasper had someone he never let them go. She closed her eyes in frustration; she couldn't betray Ruby.

Not only Ruby but any of the gems for that matter; they were truly good people.

"I can't betray them…" She whispered into the darkness.

But she had no other choice.

* * *

Connie stilled; watching a certain water witch fall apart. Another player in pain; she took joy in the fact that she could actually help them this time. She was free; free to give them new hope and joy.

She looked up at her parents. Ruby and Sapphire each held one of her hands as they walked towards the temple. Lion had left to go back to Ruby's apartment to get some sleep.

"Mommy…" Connie whispered; tugging at Ruby's hand.

Ruby looked down at her, surprised. "Yeah squirt?"

"Do you know anyone named Lapis?" She asked.

Sapphire scoffed, looking ahead stoically with her mouth formed in a tight line. Ruby, sensing the tension shushed Connie softly. When Sapphire wasn't looking Ruby nodded quietly.

Ruby mouthed;  _yeah why?_

"Nothing," Connie whispered; concentrating on the sand below her feet. "Just…Forgive her for whatever she does; it isn't her fault."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at her daughter and said nothing. She looked up at the temple that was minutes away from them. She thought about how each of the family members would react.

A chuckle made Sapphire look at her. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," Ruby grinned. "Just thinking about how Lars will react to us having a child now…"

Sapphire grinned. "Maybe he'll finally take a hint."

"Lars…" Connie racked her memory. "That guy who has a crush on mama?" She looked to Ruby for confirmation.

Ruby chuckled. "That's the guy,"

"Hmm…" Connie frowned. "I don't like him very much."

Sapphire laughed. "I don't think he will be trying to flirt with me anymore."

"Why not?" Ruby asked.

Sapphire smirked; tussling Connie's flowing mane.

"Our bodyguard wouldn't allow it,"


	9. The Recruit

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 9:**   **The Recruit**

When they introduced Connie to the family they were all nonplussed. Amethyst and Pearl were shocked. Sadie and Rose each had dreamy smiles on their faces; just when they thought the couple couldn't get any cuter. They get a kid who is even more adorable than their relationship.

Lars stood there with his eye twitching. Ruby laughed at that.

"So let me get this straight…" Amethyst rubbed her temples in concentration. "You two leave for one day and come back with a kid?"

Ruby shrugged, grinning winsomely, as she tightened her grip on Connie's hand. "You catch on fast," She nodded to the awestruck family. "Guys this is Connie, Connie this is the family,"

"…" Connie moved closer to Ruby; almost hiding herself from the rest of the group.

Pearl gaped. "Well…She's interesting,"

"I think she's adorable," Rose smiled her sweet smile; Ruby and Sapphire perked up at her silent approval. "Hi Connie…" She kneeled down so she was eye level with the child. "My name is Rose Quartz."

Connie smiled. "I know who you are! You're the best player in the game…" Connie continued when Rose began to question her. "You're pretty," Her eyes appreciated the luscious pink hair that fell down Rose's shoulders.

"Not prettier than you," Rose giggled, in a unique way, and winked at Sapphire. "Congratulations,"

A dark blue tint rose on a stoic face at Rose's accusation.

"Can she do anything?" Lars had finally broken out of his shock as he attempted to support Sapphire.

Sadie punched his arm.

"Ow!" The skinny boy yelped. "What? She has to have some kind of power!" He glared at the blonde as he rubbed his arm soothingly.

Sadie glared at Lars. "She doesn't have to," Her expression turned soft as she looked down at Connie. "She has the right to do what she wants…I wouldn't actually want her fighting anyway," She bit her lip at the thought of it.

"Are you kidding?" Ruby frowned. "She's my daughter!" She pulled Connie above her head to sit on her shoulders. "She's a natural born fighter! Right?" She looked up at the child with a broad grin.

"Right!" The family watched as Connie held her fists up high. "I'm a warrior!"

Sapphire sighed; rubbing her temples. "Not this again…No running in the temple!"

"You're no fun…" Ruby pouted.

Too caught up in their argument the couple failed to notice the rest of the team watching them. All doubts seem to dissolve at the interaction between the three. Even Pearl found the time to smile in between her disapproval.

"Well…" Lars caught their attention. "I think the kid is cute," He offered Connie a grin.

In return, the child stuck her tongue out at him; while pulling at her eye lid. "Aee…" She said childishly.

"Why you little!" Sadie held him back as he attempted to grab Connie.

Amethyst chuckled. "I like her!" Ruby protested when her best friend grabbed the child. "I bet you want to hang out with your aunt, don't you?"

"No." Ruby glared.

"Yes!" Connie disagreed; following Amethyst outside.

Ruby sulked at her lost. Sapphire then looked at Lars; silently voicing her help.

"Oh!" He straightened up quickly. "Sadie let's get some food…Pearl can you join us?"

The skinny girl frowned. "Why? You never-"

"Great! Let's go," He pulled her along.

Rose sighed when she was finally left alone with the couple. She took a seat on the couch as the smaller gems stood before her.

"Connie?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

Ruby folded her arms; glaring at the dirt beneath her fingernails. "Also known as prototype one…She was a program created to help balance the emotional wellbeing of the players in CGO."

The blue gem spoke. "But she was able to fight against the game and became her own person." Sapphire smiled. "She wanted to be with us and we couldn't lie and say we didn't feel the same…"

Rose nodded. "I see." She looked at them both. "And you plan on keeping her? What if the game wants her back?"

"We'll fight." Ruby growled. "No one is taking her from us,"

Sapphire nodded firmly; a strange fire in her eyes. "I agree."

"Well," Rose laughed; standing up and smiling down at the couple. "I can't stop you and I honestly love the kid." She looked at them seriously. "The reason I cut your vacation short is because we've found another boss level,"

Ruby grinned; she couldn't wait to punch something. "Where and when?"

"The snow region and we will leave tomorrow; you two should get some rest." Rose turned her attention to the red gem. "Ruby,"

Ruby looked up quickly; ready to follow her commands.

"Greg has been pretty worried about you lately," There was tenderness in her pink eyes. "You should go see him tonight. Maybe thank him for the shield in person?" She suggested.

Ruby looked down at her shoes. "I understand,"

"…" Rose said nothing more and walked into her room; leaving them alone.

Sapphire could literally see the wheels turning inside of her lovers head. She wished that she would voice her concerns, share them with her, but Sapphire didn't want to smother her. She would give Ruby all the space she needed and in time the red girl would trust her completely.

"You should go see Greg now," Ruby looked up, confused, as Sapphire refused to meet her eye.

Instead she watched Connie ride on top of a horse that was a familiar purple color.

"What about you?" Ruby raised an eyebrow; itching towards the warp pad.

Sapphire shrugged. "I promised Lars that I would spend more time with him."

"Oh," Ruby clenched her teeth; trying not to show how angry she truly was. "Okay then."

She was trying her best to respect that Lars was still apart of Sapphire's life but it was pretty hard. Ruby could still tell that Lars had some feelings for the blue girl no matter how hard he tried to hide them.

Sapphire looked at her. "I guess I'll se-"

The sound of the warp pad interrupted her. Ruby was gone before she could say a proper goodbye. Sapphire sighed loudly.

"See you later…"

* * *

Lapis sat on the edge of her bed. Her mind was reeling and her heart was beating a mile per minute.

She was running out of time.

Jasper would seek her soon if she didn't confront the gems and join their team. Lapis didn't want to do it but she had to. Things were better when she just followed his instructions. He would go easy on her.

"I have to do this…" She ran a hand through her short locks. "Ruby would vouch for me quickly and I'd be in for sure but…Then I'll be trapped; doomed to forever be Jasper's pawn."

Until he got tired of her.

She fell onto her bed with a groan. "I have to do this…"

She had no choice.

* * *

Ruby landed outside of a rusty beaten down van. She smiled at the home like feel; it had been too long. She couldn't wait to see the man. Maybe he would get her mind off of Sapphire and Lars.

"Trust Ruby," She breathed out slowly. "You have to trust her."

The red gem walked up the creaky steps and banged hard three times. A thud was heard behind the steel door. The man shouted a 'Come in' and Ruby did so; closing the door behind her.

"What can I do you for?" Greg spoke blindly; his back facing her as he tinkered with metal.

Ruby folded her arms; she was in a playful mood. "Oh nothing…I just thought you'd be happier to see one of your favorite gamers but I guess I was wrong."

"Ruby!" Greg turned around; the metal he was tending to fell to the floor with a thud but he didn't care. "How are you kiddo?" He ran over to give her a hug; picking her up off the ground.

Ruby grinned and fixed her cloths when he released her. "I'm good. I just got off of vacation and Rose told me to stop by."

Greg frowned. "So Rose sent you here?" He sat down in his arm chair. "Is that the reason you came to see me?"

"Not just that," Ruby sat across from him on the couch. "I really did miss my sword maker…By the way; this shield you made is awesome!" She pointed at the wrist band.

Greg broke his act and smiled brightly. "I know right! I can't believe Sapphire actually got you to use it in battle," Her face fell slightly at the mention of the blue girl. "How are things with you two? Rose told me a few things but I can't always rely on her gossip,"

"We're dating I guess…" Ruby crossed her arms. "Can we talk about something else?"

The older man frowned. "You're with someone who makes you happy, Ruby. I thought that you wouldn't be able to shut up about her…What's wrong, are you guys fighting?"

They weren't fighting. At least Ruby hoped they weren't. She and Sapphire never got into a fight; even when they first met and hated each other.

"I don't think we're fighting," Ruby sighed. "I mean…Everything was fine until she said she wanted to spend time with Lars,"

Greg nodded. "Why would her hanging out with Lars be a problem?"

"Because!" She groaned. "He kissed her and still has feelings for her!"

The man raised an eyebrow. "So you don't trust Sapphire?"

"What?" She frowned at the accusation. "Of course I trust her!"

"Then why can't you trust that she won't let anything like that happen again?" He challenged. "Take it from me Ruby; Rose and I have been together for a long time because of trust, respect and patience. I know you don't like Lars but you have to trust that Sapphire will stay loyal to you."

He shrugged. "And if you can't trust her then maybe you need some time apart to figure out the root of your problem,"

Ruby tugged at her hair. "I trust her…" She repeated.

"Then stop worrying and let me up grade your weapons." He grinned.

Ruby finally smiled; she handed him her silver sword. "I barely use it now that Sapphire has my back during battles,"

"You still need a weapon for when she isn't there," He said softly as not to get her upset.

Ruby just nodded. She walked into his kitchen in search for food while Greg updated her weapon.

"Oh yeah," Ruby pulled out a carton of milk. "Did I tell you that Sapphire and I have a child now?"

Greg chocked on his spite.

"What?" his face turned bright scarlet. "You just got together! How does that even…"

Ruby smirked. "On the island we found her lost in the forest. We took her in and she turned out to be a program in the game that was able to break free,"

"Amazing," His mind wandered to his own project that he was working on. "Tell me more,"

She poured milk into a glass. "She was designed to monitor the health of players in the game. Connie is her name and she decided that she wanted to be with us,"

"Congratulations?" He asked. "Does she have any powers?"

Her mind drifted off to when Connie made the creature vanish before them.

"She has a few skills,"

* * *

Sapphire had caught up with Lars, Sadie and Pearl at the pizza place. They stayed there for a while eating and chatting about boss levels; Pearl actually refrained from mentioning Rose. Sapphire was impressed.

After eating the group walked over to the arcade on the board walk. They all paid for a few tokens to play some games and went off to their own separate game stations.

Pearl played the Mario cart game, Sadie played a shooting zombies game and Lars and Sapphire went to the air hokey table. The bright green neon colors lit up the dark area.

"I'm going to beat you!" Lars shouted over the loud music.

Sapphire grinned; moving her hand to block one of his attempts to score. "Think…" She hit the puck with amazing speed. "Again!" She scored the winning point just as time ran out.

"Damn!" Lars slumped down in defeat. "That's the third time today…I'm never going to win that scooter at the prize booth."

The blue gem collected her tickets. "Why do you need a scooter? Aren't you too old for that," She teased.

"It's not for me," He scoffed; leaning against the table with his arms crossed. "I'm trying to win it for Sadie; I've seen her eyeing it all day,"

Her heart soared.

"That's sweet," She said honestly; looking down at the tickets in her hand.

Lars understood. "Maybe you should get Ruby something?"

"Maybe," Sapphire was still trying to decide if she was angry with Ruby or not. "Or I can give it to you; that way you'll be closer to getting that scooter."

Lars wasn't complaining. "That's a great idea!" He grabbed the tickets she offered to him. "I need two more; want to go to the whack a mole?"

She agreed silently and followed him.

No matter what, she couldn't stop thinking about how tense Ruby was earlier. She wanted to be angry with her but her heart refused. Sapphire loved her too much to be upset; but she had to talk to Ruby later.

About how she should trust her more; just because Lars liked her didn't mean she'd cheat on Ruby. She just wished her girl friend would understand that.

"I got them," She heard Lars whisper shouted. "Come on; let's go cash these in!"

Sapphire snapped out of it and nodded. She followed Lars to the prize area.

She would talk to her girlfriend later.

* * *

After spending a few hours at the arcade the group had walked back to the temple. Sadie and Lars were a mess of giggles and blushes as they talked quietly amongst themselves. The scooter he had won for her stood between them.

Sapphire was the first to enter.

"Mommy's back!" Her bundle of joy shouted; Connie ran to her from the kitchen. "Want to know what auntie Amethyst showed me?"

Sapphire withheld a groan. "What did she show you sweetie?"

Connie held up a Little Butler dvd. "She taught me about this cool show! We watched like ten episodes while everyone was gone," She thought for a moment. "I asked Rose to join us but she looked a little sick…"

"Hmm," Sapphire giggled; looking at Amethyst. "Thanks for watching her,"

The purple gem hopped onto the kitchen counter. "Any time,"

Sapphire let Connie lead her to the couch in the living room. The little girl told her about her day while Pearl argued with Amethyst about the mess she made in the kitchen.

"Then Lion came to visit me…" Connie rambled on.

Sapphire smiled. Times like this reminded her that, even though she was a program, Connie was still a child at heart.

"Did he?" Sapphire asked; looking at the dvd in her hands.

Connie's was then enthralled by a bright light that shone from the warp pad. The child smiled bright when Ruby appeared to them; holding a new sword. Sapphire watched Connie leave her side.

"Mama!" Sapphire observed the way Ruby pulled Connie onto her shoulders. "What have you been doing all day?"

The red gem raised her updated sword. It was still cool silver but it hid new powers and abilities.

"Did Greg get you a new sword?" Amethyst gasped; trying to get a closer look. "It looks the same though,"

Ruby placed the child down softly; holding her weapon up high. "You know how I discovered my new lightening abilities right?"

"Yeah," The chubby girl nodded.

"Watch," Ruby closed her eyes; Sapphire placed the dvd down and watched intrigued.

An electrical current was sent through the metal. Suddenly sparks appear and the weapon was surrounded with lightening; the sword changed from yellow to orange and sometimes a mixture of each color.

"Cool," Connie was in awe.

Ruby opened her eyes and the currents were gone. "I'm working on my new ability with Greg…" She put her sword into its protector. "But it still drains a lot of energy from me so I need to work on it," Her eyes wandered to Sapphire; she offered her a soft smile and was rewarded with a wave.

"That's amazing," Pearl was also amazed. "Maybe I should go to Greg with my swords,"

Ruby nodded. "You should; he's great at what he does," She looked down at Connie. "I have a mission for you little one."

"Really?" Connie squealed; looking up at her mother figure.

The gem nodded. "I need you to go to my apartment; it's only a few minutes away, and feed Lion." Ruby transferred two steaks to Connie's items list. "Can you handle it?"

"Of course!" Connie hurried; running out of the temple with great speed.

"That's my girl," Ruby whispered; looking at Sapphire again. "Greg says hi."

Sapphire stood up; fixing her dress. "How is he?" She walked towards her blue door; Ruby followed her.

"Fine I guess," Ruby watched Sapphire's gem glow underneath her gloves and followed her when the door was opened. "I mean he seemed okay…"

They walked through her cave like room in a somewhat tense silence.

Sapphire didn't really keep anything important in her room and it's not like she owned anything of such. But she did have a queen sized bed; it was covered with navy blue sheets. Sapphire sat on the edge of it while Ruby fiddled with her hands; standing stiffly by the door.

Ruby fixed her gaze on the still waters. She noticed that one of the puddles led to her room; she raised an eyebrow.

' _If she wanted she could spy on me…'_  Ruby thought but smirked at another possibility.  _'Or I could…'_

Sapphire spoke. "Are we fighting?"

"What?" Ruby opened her mouth but then closed it; she sighed. "I…No? Yes? I don't know," She leaned down to sit on the floor. "I'm sorry."

Sapphire ran a hand through her hair. "You know that I don't have feelings for Lars right?"

"I do, I do…" Ruby leaned her head on the door. "I don't think my mind knows that though…I trust you, I do, I just don't know why I get so-"

Sapphire smiled. "Jealous,"

"Please," Ruby scoffed. "I don't know the meaning of the word."

Ruby tried to keep the blush from rising on her face. She refused to give Sapphire the satisfaction.

The blue gem teased. "I think it's cute," She turned serious once more. "But honestly; you have to start trusting me more…I would never do anything to hurt you,"

"I'm sorry," Ruby repeated. "I trust you."

"Good," She smiled; holding up the disk that Connie had given her. "Connie and Amethyst spent the day together watching Little Butler. I think we have a permanent baby sitter."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "She isn't the best influence on Connie,"

Ruby stood and sat beside her on the bed. The tension was finally gone.

"What did you guys do today?" Ruby asked; leaning down to lie on her back.

Sapphire busied herself with tracing Ruby's gem stone.

"I caught up with the others and we ate some pizza," Sapphire continued. "Then we went to the arcade and just played a few games there. Boring day,"

Ruby hummed.

"Actually now that I think of it," Sapphire bit her lip. "When's the last time we went on a date?"

That made Ruby sit up. Her eyes were wide and her mouth a gape.

"Wh-what?" She was confused. "Why are you bringing this up?"

Sapphire shrugged. "I don't know. We're dating right?" When Ruby nodded she went on. "Then why don't we do something?"

The red gem took her time to come up with a response. Sapphire had a point about them not having a proper date. Then again they did spend a whole vacation together; Ruby didn't think it was necessary. But when she looked into blue eyes she understood how important it was to her girl friend.

"Okay then," Ruby felt her heart flutter when Sapphire smiled. "How about you let me plan this date and then I'll ask you properly? Not just to go on a date but to be my girl friend as well…" Her voice softened.

Sapphire was grateful. Grateful to have Ruby show her soft side to her and only her.

"Really?"

Ruby nodded. "Of course,"

Sapphire kissed her lips chastely; pulling away when a knock sounded at her door.

"I finished the mission!" Connie's muffled voice called out to them.

Ruby withheld a groan at the interruption. She thought it would take the child a little bit longer than that.

"We'll be out in a minute." Sapphire responded for the red gem.

"Okay," Connie said. "But hurry! Dinner is almost finished," They could hear soft footsteps lead away from the door.

Sapphire rose to her feet; holding out her hand for Ruby. "Shall we?"

"Yeah, yeah,"

* * *

When they exited the room they saw the whole family gathered in the kitchen. It seemed like Pearl had made dinner, with the help of Amethyst, and they would be eating at the granite counter in the kitchen. Connie had the job of placing chairs around the island while Sadie and Lars set the table.

"What's for dinner?" Ruby pulled herself away from Sapphire and took an empty seat. "Smells great,"

Amethyst scoffed. "It's better when you cook Ruby! While you were gone Pearl almost burned the kitchen down."

"I did not!" Pearl shouted; carrying what appeared to be roasted chicken. "The steam just set off the fire alarm is all…"

Ruby and Amethyst laughed childishly. The purple gem had decided to sit next to her best friend; Connie took her seat on the other side of Ruby.

"I think your cooking is delightful," Rose chirped; she had just emerged from her own quarters.

Pearl perked up. "Thank you Rose!"

The family then began to talk amongst themselves while Pearl placed different foods onto the counter. She had cooked roasted chicken, corn on the cob, string beans and yellow rice. A pitcher of ice cold water sat in the middle. They all took their seats when everything was complete.

"This looks great," Connie complemented.

Lars nodded. "Yeah. I'm starving,"

"Let's dig in!" Amethyst shouted with her hands in the air. "Why are we just staring at it?"

Sapphire felt Connie hold her hand from her seat next to her. The blue gem looked at the girl, confused.

"What's wrong sweetie?"

Connie shook her head; looking at the door expectantly. "Just being your buttress,"

"…Why?" Sapphire was still confused.

A soft knock at the front door made the family go silent. They all looked at it with confusion. No one ever knocked at their door and if it was Greg he would have used the warp pad.

Rose was the one to rise and gracefully walk to the door. They all watched her eyes widen; she was not expecting to see this person apparently.

"Lapis…" Rose whispered loud enough for them all to hear.

Connie gulped. "That's why…" She answered her mother's previous question.

"Can I come in, please?" They heard the girl ask softly. "I need to talk to you all."

Rose, the sweet person she is, let the girl in with no questions asked. The pink woman closed the door behind them and led the water witch into the kitchen. They all stared at Lapis. It wasn't like they hated her, they had no reason to, they were just shocked to see her.

Sapphire on the other hand was not too pleased with her visit.

"Lapis," Ruby was smiling, a little too bright in Sapphire's opinion. "What are you doing here?" The red gem was truly happy to see her friend.

Ruby felt bad about the way they had ended things. She still wanted to be friends with Lapis and help her; anything to keep her away from Jasper.

Lapis also smiled. "Ruby," The water gem turned her attention to the others at the dinner table. "Sorry to interrupt your dinner…"

"No worries," Amethyst shrugged. "Just because you're on Jasper's team doesn't mean you aren't part of our family anymore."

Lars nodded. "Once family always family,"

"Actually," Lapis looked at Ruby when she said this. "I'm not part of Jasper's group anymore and I was hoping that…You guys would let me join again." She broke away from red eyes and moved to Rose. "If that's fine with you,"

It was not fine. Sapphire felt a sudden anger rise in her; she wasn't used to feeling like this. She hated it.

"I have no problem with it," Rose smiled, in a motherly way, and hugged Lapis quickly. "You're welcome to come back," She released Lapis who tried to keep her tears at bay.

They were so nice and forgiving. Even after everything that she had done.

"But," Rose smiled playfully. "We must have a family vote. I say yes,"

Pearl straightened her back. "I agree with Rose,"

Amethyst groaned.

"Well," Ruby gave the water gem her usual sideways grin. "It's a yes for me."

Lapis returned the smile as she blushed softly; quickly looking away. Sapphire grinded her teeth together; she felt Connie grasp her hand tighter. The child was trying to calm her down, reassure her.

Amethyst shrugged in a careless manner. "I don't why not."

Sapphire scoffed; whispering to herself. "I can think of ten good reasons…"

"What was that Sapph?" She heard Ruby ask from a seat away.

The blue gem bit her tongue. "I said yes."

Lapis looked at Sapphire, ready to thank her, but stopped when she was met with a glare. The water gem quickly averted her gaze, frightened. She would make sure to stay far away from Sapphire and to not make her angry.

"Can we all just say yes and eat already!" Amethyst shouted.

Lars and Sadie quickly said 'yes' and began eating their food. Amethyst grinned and dug in.

"Well then," Rose called to her menu bar and began to write.

The words,  **'Lapis is now a member of the Crystal Gems'**  hung in the air.

"It's official." Rose looked at Lapis who was trying to process everything. "Since you're a gem and a member of the group the temple will create a room just for you,"

Lars frowned. "Why does she get a room in the cloudy place while Sadie and I have to stay in normal rooms?"

"She is a gem, Lars. " Rose said softly. "If you are a gem the temple will grant you access to its most secrete place."

The teenage boy sighed. "Discrimination at its finest,"

"Care to join us for dinner?" Rose walked back to her seat.

Lapis stuttered. "D-dinner?"

"We always eat as a family," Amethyst said after she swallowed her food.

Pearl had taught her not to eat with her mouth full whenever she was around her. Due to her obedience she gained a smile from Pearl. The purple gem fought off a blush.

"I usually cook but tonight it was Pearl's turn," Ruby said; picking at the slightly burnt beans. "I should have cooked…" She whispered to herself; earning a laugh from the purple gem.

Sadie nodded. "Lars, Connie and I set the table."

"We all have a job," Lars mumbled.

Lapis easily fell into the family flow. "What do you do Amethyst?"

"Her job is to stay out of the way…" Pearl glared playfully.

Rose asked again. "Join us, please?"

"Of course…" Lapis took an empty seat between Pearl and Lars.

It felt amazing.

* * *

"Uncle Jasper!" The child came bunching into the living room. "Auntie Peridot and I just finished my sword lesson; she said that I'm getting better each day!" He grinned broadly.

Jasper smiled. "That's great Centi," Suddenly a message appeared in his inbox.

It was from Lapis.

_I'm in_

_-Lapis_

The smile turned sinister. "Just great…"

* * *

When the family was finished with dinner they all retreated back to their rooms. Ruby had followed Sapphire into her room for the night. She noticed how distant the blue gem was acting during dinner and she wanted to make sure Sapphire was okay.

Ruby was busy pulling on her pajamas; a tank top and sweats.

"This is great!" Ruby finished pulling her shirt on and went to her sweats. "Lapis finally joined us again and now she can't be hurt by Jasper," Ruby was ecstatic.

She didn't notice her girlfriend rolling her eyes.

Sapphire pulled the sheets over her shoulders; turning away from Ruby. "Yeah…" Her voice was dull and apathetic.

"What's wrong?" Ruby had pulled her hair into a puffy pony tail. "You've been acting weird ever since dinner." She crawled into bed beside her. "Talk to me."

The blue gem turned to face her. "It's nothing…I'm just tired,"

She watched as Ruby's face changed. It went to worry then understanding then joy and finally landed on mischief.

"Oh my god," Ruby smirked.

Sapphire frowned. "What?"

"You're jealous!" Ruby was smiling brighter than ever.

The blue gem, blushing wildly, turned her back to Ruby. Not wanting to hear this right now.

"No I'm not."

Ruby repeated what Sapphire had said to her earlier. "It's cute," She teased. "You being over protective and jealous,"

' _Kind of hot,'_  Ruby thought.

"Please," Sapphire scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

Ruby, finished having her fun, hugged the blue gem from behind. "I'm just joking," She kissed her shoulder softly. "You don't have to worry…I'm all yours,"

"Whatever," Sapphire blushed deeper; hoping that Ruby couldn't see it spreading on her shoulder. "You're such a softy…"

"Only for you and Connie," Ruby sighed; closing her eyes.

The blue gem frowned. "Where is she anyway?"

"I told her she can sleep in my room." Ruby sneezed. "She doesn't like that bed in the living room; she said it smells."

Ruby sneezed again.

"Are you catching a cold?" Sapphire tried to look at her but Ruby held her down.

"I'm fine love," The red gem yawned. "Goodnight,"

Sapphire smiled. "Goodnight,"

Ruby stifled another sneeze that threatened to escape.

* * *

Lapis was the last one to leave the kitchen. Amethyst made up some absurd rule that new family members had to clean the table. She realized that is was the purple gems night to clean when she saw the list on the fridge.

She didn't mind. It only took a few minutes to do and it helped Lapis become drowsy. When she first arrived she was restless.

"Lapis," The water bender turned around to see Connie sitting on the couch in the dark.

_Creepy._

Lapis smiled. "Hey kid," She finished cleaning dishes and walked over. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" She stopped when she was across from the child.

"Cut the act," Connie remained stoic; Lapis felt her smile drop. "I've been watching you Lapis,"

The water bender crossed her arms, frowning. "What are you-"

"I know that you're secretly working for Jasper and I honestly don't care, but," Connie's eyes suddenly turned white; Lapis felt her legs shake in fear. "If you even think about hurting Ruby and Sapphire…I will get rid of you,"

Connie made the plate she was drying disappear into thin air. Lapis gasped.

"Permanently," Connie glared at her. "Understand?"

Lapis nodded. It all happened so fast. The door to Amethyst room was opened just as Connie's eyes turned back to normal.

"Sorry I forgot to open the door for you, Connie." The purple gem said sheepishly. "I was just so tired."

Connie smiled; skipping over to Amethyst who held the door open for her. "It's okay; Lapis and I were just having a talk."

"About what?" The purple gem looked at Lapis who had her back to her.

The child shrugged. "About how you shouldn't upset the wrong people," She quickly pulled the purple girl along. "Come on; sleep over!"

The door closed shut. Lapis could still hear their muffled conversation.

" _Are you sure your parents are okay with you being in here?" Amethyst asked again; not wanting to get in trouble with Ruby._

Lapis fell back onto the couch.

_Great._

Now she had to deal with a power hungry Jasper and an over protective ten year old girl.


	10. The Talk

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 10: The Talk**

A loud sneeze bounced off of the temple walls. Connie ran as fast as she could, boxes of tissues in her hand, as she approached her mothers' room door. She used her foot to knock quickly; Amethyst greeted her. But Connie paid her no mind and crawled between the gap in her legs; trying to find her parents.

"I have the tissues!" Connie held them up high.

A loud sneeze came from Ruby who was surrounded by all the family members. Sapphire and Rose were sitting beside her on the bed; comforting her. Lars, Sadie and Pearl watched with uneasy expressions; most likely not wanting to catch what Ruby had. And Lapis fidgeted in the corner of the room. She wanted to help but she knew that it wasn't her place to.

"Good job squirt…" Ruby smiled weakly; her voice coming out thick and broken. "No-ACHOO!" She blasted another powerful sneeze.

Luckily Sapphire had a tissue ready for her.

Ruby smiled at her beloved. "Thanks," She sniffed; trying to stop the mucus from dripping down her nose.

"Through sickness and in health," Amethyst teased.

Rose smiled; watching the couple blush professedly. It was the day that they would be going on a boss mission in the cave region. But without Ruby; it looked as if they would be staying home today.

Pearl tried to hide her disgust. "So do we just stay home now? Ruby is…" She shivered. "Sick…We can't go without her; we need as much help as we can get on this mission."

"We will still be going," Rose confirmed.

Amethyst frowned. "But how?"

"Lapis," Rose caught the water benders attention. "You will be going on the mission with us in Ruby's absence."

Lapis and Sapphire gaped.

"B-but…" The new member stuttered. "Don't you all work in pairs? Who will I fight with?"

Rose looked at Sapphire. "As I said, you will take Ruby's spot until she is well." Pink eyes dared them to object. "Don't worry; I'm sure you two will make a perfect team."

Rose left; a smile fresh on her face.

Amethyst chuckled. "Today is going to be interesting!" She looked at Connie. "Are you staying here to watch over your mom?"

"Yeah," Connie nodded firmly; holding onto the tissues tighter. "I'll even get Lion to help!"

Ruby groaned weakly. "Not Lion!" Flashes of the beast sitting on her stomach filled her mind.

"Yes Lion," Connie smiled. "You stay here while I go get him!" She runs out of the room.

Ruby fell back on the bed; eyes shielded by her right arm.

"Get well loser," Amethyst grinned; turning to face the others. "Move it people! The girl needs her rest,"

The remaining players grumbled under their breath but followed her orders. Sadie and Pearl offered a 'Get well soon' and Lars waved awkwardly.

Lapis stood at the door; speaking hesitantly. "…Hope you feel better," She offered a smile.

"Thanks," Ruby mumbled without removing her arm from her vision.

Sapphire watched the water bender leave, who had a blush on her face, and then faced her beloved. They were the only ones left in Sapphire's room.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Sapphire asked. "Should I stay with you?"

Ruby smirked. "Oh no; you are going to fight alongside Lapis and you're going to like it,"

Sapphire withheld a groan. Sometimes it was crazy how well Ruby knew her.

"I just don't know about her…" The blue girl bit her lip in thought.

It wasn't like she didn't like Lapis. She just didn't like the way she clung onto ever thing Ruby said or did. Sapphire didn't dare doubt the water benders trust towards Rose. Lapis has been through a lot; they all have.

And they needed to stick together.

"Believe me when I say this; Lapis hasn't had the best life." Ruby looked at her honestly. "It's not my place to tell you anything but just know that she's been through a lot. Lapis deserves a family like ours; she needs one,"

Ruby grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Give her a chance," She smiled softly. "For me."

"…" Sapphire nodded. "For you," She placed a soft kiss on Ruby's forehead and proceeded to get ready for the mission.

* * *

A bright light appeared when the Crystal Gems teleported to the cave region. Rose warned them ahead of time about the freezing temperature so they were all dressed in thick fur coats; didn't need another sick teammate.

"The ice cave is where we will find boss level number eleven," Rose motioned to the cave entrance that was in front of them. "Everyone stay with your partners; we have no knowledge about what beasts we will be up against."

She paused. "One more thing; we have to be quiet as not to cause an avalanche,"

"Y-you mean when huge piles of snow fall on top of you?" Lars gulped; unconsciously moving closer to Sadie.

Amethyst nodded. "Yeah; they're awesome!"

The walls vibrated softly at the purple girl's outburst.

"Amethyst," Pearl hissed; sighing in relief when the shaking subsided. "You need to be quiet before we all get caved in,"

Sapphire watched Amethyst roll her eyes. They had all began to follow Rose into the snow cave. It would have been pitch black if it were not for the bright gems that scattered the walls of the cave.

Sapphire pulled her scarf around her neck tighter. She really wasn't in the mood to be here right now; don't get her wrong, she loved fighting on the battle field. With Ruby that is.

She only liked fighting by her side and she didn't feel right going on a mission without her. The blue gem thought that she should be back at the temple nursing her sick girlfriend with Connie. At least that's where she wanted to be.

"…So," Sapphire looked to her left when Lapis began to speak. "Wh-what kind of abilities do you have? I know that you were a new player and I never really had the chance to see you fight." The water bender frowned. "I missed the match with you and Blowfish because Jasper made me get him some food,"

Sapphire looked ahead where the others were only a few steps away. "Now isn't really the best time to be talking Lapis," She whispered back distantly.

"…" Lapis bit her lip. "Just trying to make conversation,"

Sapphire whispered hatefully. "Well don't."

Lapis glared at the shorter girl next to her.

She was trying to understand why Sapphire was so angry at her. Lapis couldn't think of anything she did wrong. She didn't even say one word to the girl until now!

"Okay that's it," Lapis stood in front of Sapphire; making the girl stop in her tracks. "What is your problem with me?"

Sapphire rolled her eyes. "What are yo-"

"No!" Lapis shouted. "Don't lie to me; I've never done anything to you and yet you are such a jerk to me! What did I do to you?"

Amethyst, along with the others, gasped when the earth began to shake due to Lapis's outburst. Lars held onto Sadie; trying to calm down.

"I had a dream just like this," Lars whispered.

Rose looked at the two fighting girls and frowned. "Ladies; now is not the time."

"You know what you did." Sapphire ignored Rose and continued to argue with Lapis.

Amethyst pulled Pearl away from a large chunk of snow that came crashing down from the ceiling.

"Guys…" Sadie said.

Lapis folded her arms. "I obviously don't know!"

"Ladies!" Rose's shout was the action that caused the avalanche to occur.

The snowy walls began to shake. Large blocks of ice and snow fell from the ceiling and down towards the players.

"No…" Rose casted a bubble shield around her party.

Unfortunately Lapis and Sapphire were too far to be caught up in it.

Rose watched a huge pile of ice separate them from the two girls. "No!" She tried to reach out but it was too late.

Sapphire and Lapis ran away from the heaps of ice coming towards them. They barely avoided getting hit by sliding across the slippery surface; they covered their heads just in case anything else was about to land on them.

Sapphire and Lapis were now caved in and separated from the others.

* * *

"Lion get away," Ruby fought off the pink beast that was pawing at her face. "Leave me alone,"

Connie giggled from her spot on the edge of the bed. "He's just trying to make you feel better mama."

"I feel fine," Ruby finally shoved Lion away and he moved to scratch at the door. "What now Lion?"

The pink beast roared softly; trying to communicate with his owner. His eyes turned white as he howled again.

"What's wrong with him?" Connie asked.

Ruby jumped out of bed; holding her head when it began to ache at the action. "Something isn't right…I can feel it and so can Lion," She went to pull on a pair of sweatpants.

"What are you doing?" Connie tried to pull her back in bed. "Mama you're sick! Mommy made it clear that you should stay in bed and rest!"

Ruby snatched her arm away from Connie. She ignored the child's cries and jumped onto Lion's back.

"Connie," She stared down at the child. "I'll be fine, Lion is with me, I just have a bad feeling and I need to make sure that they're okay. You stay here just in case they come back."

Ruby smiled softly. "Trust me,"

"Okay," Connie nodded. "Be safe."

Ruby nodded; she patted Lion on the back when she was ready. Lion roared out a portal and jumped through it.

* * *

"Sapphire-Lapis!" The muffled voice of Rose Quartz called to them in the dimmed cave. "Can you hear me? Are you two alright?"

Sapphire dusted the snow off of her jacket as she stood up. "We're fine Rose," She placed a gloved hand on the wall of ice separating them from the others. "But this wall is frozen solid; there is no way that we can break through this…Maybe I can use my sword-"

"No!" Rose warned her. "I'm afraid if you smash through it then the whole cave will collapse." There was a pause. "You two just stay there. The map says that if we continue to walk in the circle we will eventually make it back to you."

Pearl spoke up. "Good idea; then we have to beat the boss level...That's the only way we can escape,"

"Exactly," Rose muttered. "You two stay put; understand?" Sapphire and Lapis mumbled an 'Okay' before they sat on the cold floor of the cave; a safe distance away from each other.

"Try not to kill one another!" Amethyst snickered.

Sapphire scoffed. The distant sound of their teammates footsteps grew further and further until they were left with a tense silence.

This was not how she wanted to spend the day; trapped in a cave with Lapis Lazuli.

"Great," Sapphire whispered softly. "We're stuck in here for god knows how long,"

Lapis crossed her arms in distaste. "I'm not that bad company…Ruby seemed to enjoy –"

The shorter gem glared at the water bender. She was losing whatever little patience she had.

"I don't care what she enjoyed!" Sapphire interrupted her. "She's my girlfriend and I think that you should get over whatever little crush you have on her."

Lapis gaped; a blush rising to her cheeks. "I-I…"

"Yeah; I see the way you look at her," The short girl glared at Lapis. "And it gets me so angry when I see how close you two are…" Sapphire looked away. "It makes me wonder what happened when you two were in the desert; all these possibilities play around in my mind and I feel like I'm going crazy,"

Lapis looked at Sapphire, reaching a hand out before drawing it back, and then looked to the floor. She never thought about how her crush had affected the shorter girl. How much it hurt her to even think that, even for a moment, she and Ruby had felt something in the desert. Lapis figured that she could lie and say that they did; hurt Sapphire the same way she hurt Ruby in the past. She thought about lying until she saw how much the shorter girl cared for the red gem.

Lapis saw it at dinner. The way Ruby looked at Sapphire; it hurt knowing that the red girl would never look at her that way. But it also made her happy knowing that the girl would be in good hands.

"…" Lapis but her lip while she looked at the blue girl. "Nothing happened in the desert…All she could talk about was you," She laughed bitterly.

Sapphire looked at her, nonplussed.

"She barely gave me the time of day," Lapis smiled. "She was kind of a jerk now that I think of it…" She was starting to wonder why she fell for the red gem in the first place.

Sapphire finally laughed softly. "Yeah, she was a female dog when I first met her as well,"

That shocked Lapis. Sapphire, it seemed, was the only person who Ruby was nice to. It was hard to believe that she treated the blue gem with nothing but kindness.

"Was she really? Then how did you two get together?" Lapis faced the other girl. "You two are complete opposites,"

A kind smile graced Sapphire's face. "I was teleporting, trying to get to Beach City Apartments, and I landed on her back…" Sapphire watched Lapis gasp; trying to hold back a smile. "She shoved me off of her and said 'Watch where the hell you're going',"

"She didn't!" Lapis giggled.

Sapphire nodded with a smile. "She did…I think she had a crush on me the moment she saw me because when she finally looked at me she started blushing like a maniac,"

"Then she started stuttering about how she could show me to the apartments," Sapphire grinned at the memory. "She was adorable,"

Lapis nodded in understanding. "Then you two became friends?"

"What? No way; she still hated me."

Lapis shook her head. "Figures…" She looked at Sapphire. "When did she like; stop hating you?"

"I don't think she hated me she just didn't want to be vulnerable and show her soft side; that's how she is." Sapphire went on. "But I think I knew she didn't hate me when she saved me from getting stabbed during a boss level. One of the creatures was about to strike at my stomach but suddenly she was standing in front of me,"

Lapis listened with rapt attention.

"I remember how blood was dripping from her wound and onto my face…It was awful," She felt tears prickle in the corner of her eyes. "Rose rushed her somewhere while Pearl took me away; I was miserable without her. Honestly, I think that was when I started developing a crush on her; I just didn't realize it yet."

Sapphire sighed; trying to recall the past. "Then I was finally able to see her; I hugged her while she struggled to put her hands somewhere,"

Lapis giggled.

"That night we each promised to find a way to get out of the game together and to not keep anything from one another," She fiddled with the snow on the ground. "That's when she started being nice and open to me,"

Lapis nodded; a smile gracing her face. "When did you realize that you wanted to be with her?" She asked softly; not wanting to get too nosey.

Sapphire grinned. "She and Amethyst were having a dare contest and Ruby was dared to kiss someone. Thinking back on it, Amethyst probably dared her to kiss me." Sapphire blushed. "We were sitting on the beach and then we just kissed; she was my first and I was hers."

"Then you got together?" Lapis asked hopefully; now caught up in the love story.

Sapphire shook her head. "No…"

"But you kissed!" Lapis frowned. "Did you two just ignore it? You can't ignore that,"

The shorter gem shrugged. "We didn't ignore it we just didn't talk about it. Then Lars kissed me, I was too shocked to do anything, Ruby saw it and…" She motioned with her hand.

"That's why she ran away," Lapis understood. "It's not your fault then…You tried to push him away but you were just shocked."

Sapphire nodded. "I'm kind of glad he did kiss me," She held her hand up when Lapis began to speak. "I didn't like it but it made me realize how much I cared for Ruby. That's when I finally understood how I felt for her and I left to find her,"

"That's so sweet." Lapis held a hand to her heart; looking away. "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble between you two,"

Sapphire shook her head. "No I was just being a jealous loser," She scratched her head. "Now I know how Ruby feels when I hang out with Lars…"

She had to remind herself to apologize to the red gem.

"I think I just got emotionally attached to the wrong person," Lapis smiled sadly. "She belongs to you and I had no right to try and steal her; I'm sorry."

Sapphire shook her head. "I'm not saying that you have to stay away from her…I just don't want you to, y'know?"

"I know," Lapis smiled. "Are we cool now? Because we totally just ruined this mission,"

Sapphire groaned. "I know…Sorry for being a jerk I'm not really like this." She smiled. "But yeah we're cool,"

"I'm glad," Lapis smiled.

Right as Sapphire was going to speak a clump of snow began to move. The gems looked at one another before moving away and further into the cave. Something was forming in the pile of snow; other pieces of ice were called to the pile and added to the creation.

They watched as it rose to full height; about three times their size. A white snow beast stood tall with icicle spikes on its humped back. It was standing on four legs but had the ability to stand on two. Sapphire quickly took notice in the fact that it had no eyes.

"Lapis," Sapphire whispered softly; trying not to panic when they reached the end of the ice that had them trapped. "Don't make a sound...It's blind but it can probably still sense us if we make too much noise,"

Lapis gulped and nodded quickly.

Sapphire, as quiet as she could, reached for her weapon behind her back. It became aware to her that this was probably the beast that they had to beat on the boss level. If she could just find an opening then she could defeat it and they could just teleport back to the temple.

But nothing was ever that easy.

The beast had picked up on their movement and growled in their direction. To their fright the earth had began to shake once more. Another avalanche was on its way.

"Lapis you can control water can't you?" Sapphire gripped her sword tightly as the monster crept closer to them blindly. "He's water right?"

Lapis shook her head. "Not that easy Sapphire..." She gulped. "He's ice cold just like everything else in here; I can't control frozen things I can only manipulate water and vapor,"

Sapphire groaned; she stuck with a somewhat useless partner. "Stay here," Lapis had no time to speak before Sapphire ran full speed behind the beast and struck its back hard with her sword.

She knew that the beast would try and strike her back but what she didn't know was that the beast would let out a high pitched cry.

"..." Sapphire found a secluded corner and covered her ears.

The loud noise triggered the shaking of the ground. As well as pieces of icicles to fall once more. Although when they fell on the beast instead of harming him it allowed him to regenerate and grow stronger.

Sapphire cursed under her breath.

She couldn't use her sword because the beast would just cause another quake. And she couldn't run to help Lapis because she would risk giving away her hiding spot.

She was lost.

"...No," Lapis cried out when the beast started to creep towards her.

Sapphire knew that she couldn't save both of them but maybe she could help Lapis.

"Over here!" Sapphire threw a snowball at the monster causing it to growl and go charging at her with new found speed.

Sapphire closed her eyes to accept her fate.

But suddenly a pink portal appeared in front of Sapphire. The short blue gem gasped at the sight. Lion jumped out of the portal, eyes white, with Ruby clutching tightly to his fur.

"Ruby," Sapphire was shocked to see her, clearly still sick, girlfriend coming to her rescue.

The red gem was also still clad in her sleeping pants and hoodie.

Regardless, Ruby jumped off of Lion and reached into his head that turned bright pink. Sapphire watched her love extract her new sword that Greg had created for her new power.

"Lion watch her," Ruby said; closing her eyes as she tried to summon her power.

The beast, actually listening for once, stood in front of Sapphire protectively.

Ruby felt a spark light deep inside of her and she took a deep breath; trying to channel it.

Just as the snow creature was about to attack Ruby sprang into action. She raised her sword that was now flowing with electrical currents and struck the beast hard on its face. A light so bright, that Sapphire had to cover her eyes, surrounded the cave. The beast popped like a balloon; coating them with now melting snow.

Lapis wiped the slush away from her face and looked at Ruby. The girl still seized to amaze her. She felt that fluttering rise in her stomach as Ruby put her weapon away.

But it faded when Ruby completely ignored her and went to help Sapphire stand.

Lapis looked away.

"Are you okay?" Ruby released her hand when she was fully standing. "I had a bad feeling and it was proved true when Lion started howling like crazy and dragged me out here," She frowned. "Why are you separated from the rest of the group? "

Sapphire ignored her question and raised the holder that protected her sword. She raised it over Ruby's head; the red girl looked up at it confused.

BAP!

"Oww!" Ruby groaned; holding her head in discomfort.

Lapis stared with wide eyes. Had Sapphire just hit Ruby with her sword protector?

"Love is strange…" Lapis whispered to herself as she watched Ruby hold her head.

Ruby growled. "What was that for?"

"I told you to stay in bed," Sapphire glared at her coldly. "You have the flue."

Ruby rolled her eyes; crossing her arms as she tried to hold back a sneeze. "I'm fine,"

"No you obviously aren't. Your nose is running, eyes are red and you can barely stand." Sapphire took notice in how Ruby swayed in her spot. "How did you think coming to 'save me' was a good idea?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know…It seemed smart at the time,"

"So…" Sapphire rubbed her temples as she tried to understand. "You thought it was smart to travel to the coldest place in the game when you have the flue?"

Lapis looked at Lion who had walked over to her side. "Does this always happen?"

Lion groaned. He fell to the floor and closed his eyes.

"You should be thanking me right now," Ruby complained angrily. "I just saved your life and defeated the boss level!" She glared at her beloved. "You should be grateful that I care so much,"

Sapphire felt her anger melt instantly. "Ruby..." She sighed; the red gem was right. " I am happy that you saved us, believe me, but you're sick and I don't need you getting worse," She bit her lip when the red gem crossed her arms. "...I missed you,"

"..." Ruby blushed. "Whatever,"

Lapis felt her heart flutter when Ruby wiped away the left over snow on Sapphire's face. Even she couldn't deny it; they were adorable.

"Sorry for saving your life," Ruby joked; still cupping her cheek in her palm.

Sapphire grinned. "You're forgiven; now let's get you back in bed." Sapphire looked at Lapis, blushing when she noticed her listening their whole conversation.

Following her eyes Ruby also blushed and removed her hand slowly. She waved her hand awkwardly.

"Hey Lapis; I didn't know you were here," Ruby said; glaring at Sapphire before she tried to ease the tension. "I bet you're glad I came here to save you guys,"

Lapis bit her lip; trying not to smile. "What would we do without you, Ruby."

Lapis looked at Sapphire who smiled softly at her. They had each reached an understanding.

"At least someone appreciates me," Ruby joked; she called to Lion and hopped on his back while Sapphire followed. "Aren't you coming Lapis?" She noticed the water bender standing in the same spot.

Lapis shook her head. "You guys go on without me," She smiled. "Someone should be here to let Rose know that everything is okay,"

"Alright..." Ruby nodded; Patting Lion on his mane.

The beast roared out a powerful portal and jumped through it. Lapis was once again left alone but this time instead of feeling pain she was actually content.

That is until she realized she would have to face Rose's rage alone.

* * *

Ruby and Sapphire held on to Lion as they traveled through the portal that seemed to go on forever.

"So, you were actually in a secluded space with Lapis for a whole hour and you didn't kill each other." Ruby grinned. "How did that happen?"

Sapphire placed her chin on top of a broad shoulder. "Let's just say; somewhere along the way we accidentally became friends..." She whispered so soft that Ruby had to strain herself to hear. "You were right about how I should give her a chance, she's not bad. You're a great judge of character,"

"...Thanks," Ruby whispered back; not wanting to break their peaceful moment.

She looked away from Sapphire to observe the random patterns of the void they traveled through. It was a vast mixture of purple and pink.

"What did you guys talk about for all that time, anyway?" Ruby was curious.

Sapphire said. "You actually,"

"Really?" Ruby was shocked. "Well what did you say about me?" She said expectantly.

Her girlfriend giggled. "Wouldn't you like to know,"

"That's why I'm asking Sapph," Ruby replied just as teasingly. "But seriously; what did you two talk about?"

Sapphire is her girlfriend and Lapis is...Kind of like an ex who she never dated in the first place. Something interesting had to come up; maybe they were really close friends now. That meant they would gang up on her and make her choose a side.

Asking things like, 'who do you like better' or 'who's the prettiest'.

Ruby felt herself panicking despite the fact that she had the answer to each question they could throw at her.

"Relax," Sapphire noticed with a smile. "We aren't going to gang up on you,"

Ruby sighed quietly to herself.

"But we are somewhat of acquaintances rather than friends," Sapphire said; feeling her eyes begin to droop. "But we did talk about how much of a jerk you were to the both of us."

Ruby scratched the back of her neck. "I should try to make it up to you guys," She looked away. "I shouldn't have treated the only people who I care about so much like that."

Sapphire didn't fail to notice how she mentioned Lapis on that list.

"You've already made it up to Lapis..." Sapphire swallowed her petty jealously. "In the cave she told me about how you were the only person who gave her a chance like when you saved her life...She's grateful, if anything I think she is focused on trying to make it up to  _you_."

Ruby felt a smile itch at her lips. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sapphire whispered back distantly.

Ruby bit her lip. She noticed how selfish she was being.

"You know..." The red gem spoke causing Sapphire to look up once more. "I should make it up to you too-"

Sapphire shook her head. "No Ruby. You saved my life in the past as well and if anything I owe you-"

"You're the only one who was able to see past my anger for who I really am." Not even Lapis took the chance to fully understand her; anger and all.

Ruby turned around so she was now facing Sapphire completely as she sat on Lion backwards. "Let me do this for you," She grabbed her lovers hands and placed them into hers.

Her red eyes were kind and hopeful as Sapphire stared into them. She felt her heart flutter and a blush rise to her face.

"...okay," Sapphire muttered; afraid that if she said anything else she would fumble like an idiot.

Ruby smiled winsomely; unaware of the affect she had on the other gem. "Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?" She was actually feeling nervous.

"...A-a date?" Sapphire was smiling hard. "Where?"

The red gem, not thinking that far ahead, smirked. "It's a secret,"

 _'To you and me,'_  The red gem thought.  _'Because I have no idea...'_

Sapphire placed her forehead against her loves. "It's a date then..."

Ruby smiled back as she leaned into Sapphire. She took in her lavender smell and closed her eyes; she sighed contently.

"I'm glad,"


	11. The Date

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 11: The Date**

"Where are you going to take her?" Amethyst asked from her seat beside the red gem.

Ruby sighed; watching Sapphire and Pearl duel. "No idea,"

At the moment they were all gathered in Pearls room where they normally had practice battles and team meetings. Sadie and Lars were talking amongst themselves; on the far side of the bleachers. Amethyst and Ruby sat at the top while Lapis sat at the bottom and watched the two fight with rapt attention. Rose was at Greg's house at the moment in an attempt to get boss level information.

"You're her girlfriend you have to know what she likes." Amethyst mentioned; neither of them were paying much attention to the battle before them.

Sapphire always won.

Ruby groaned and slapped her head. "I know I'm the worse; I promised to take her somewhere tonight and I have no clue where," She bit her lip. "I don't want to take her somewhere boring like out to eat…I want to show her something she's never seen before-" Suddenly an idea struck.

"I know what I'm going to do!" Ruby shook Amethyst with joy.

Pearl spoke; breaking them out of their own little world. "I'm glad that you know what to do because you and Lars are up next," She wiped the sweat from her neck and sat beside Lapis.

Sapphire giggled when Ruby rolled her eyes. Ruby stood up and jogged down to the fighting area where Lars was twitching in his spot. She got into a low fighting position with her fist held high. Her lips twitched into a smile when Lars tried to copy her form.

"Good luck," She mumbled; not really meaning it.

Lars gulped. "Y-yeah…" This was the first time that he and Ruby would be fighting; and he was scared.

Ruby was a few points higher than him on the top charts. Plus he's seen what she did to Centipedal.

"And begin!" Pearl shouted as she commenced battle.

Surprisingly, Lars was the first to move. He ran full speed at Ruby with his sword raised high; he prepared to strike. The red gem then extracted her blue shield and blocked his attack.

"Your stance is awful," Ruby muttered; blindly pulling out her new sword. "And your attack is really weak…"

Lars glared at her with a blush. "Shut up!" He striked her shield again in a clumsy manner.

"I mean it," Ruby said a little softer; moving her foot back to lengthen her stance. "If you're not ready to fight me then you should stop; I don't want you to get hurt."

Lars threw his sword away. "Shut up, shut up shut up!" Suddenly large bursts of fire escaped from his mouth.

"Whoa," Sadie, along with the others, stood up from the bleachers.

Even Amethyst had woken up.

"You actually have powers!" Pearl said flabbergasted.

Ruby smirked and put her shield away. "It doesn't really matter," She ran through his flames and punched him dead in the stomach.

"Omf," Lars groaned incoherently as he was slammed into the floor; they watched his energy level drop to forty in the blink of an eye.

Lars looked up confused. "B-but how?"

Amethyst laughed at the confused boy. "Dude; Ruby is like fire proof or something,"

"What?" Lars shouted.

Ruby smirked as she returned her sword. "One of my many talents," Her hands sparked with electrical currents as if for show.

"Yeah, I thought you knew…" Sadie frowned.

Lars glared at them all. "Well I didn't!" Sapphire wanted to agree with the boy but remained silent.

"It's okay I didn't know either," Lapis tried to boost his spirits. "Can I battle next?" She asked.

Pearl smiled. "Of course, you and Ame-"

"I'm okay with going against Amethyst but…" Lapis paused. "Can everyone leave? I get nervous," She blushed.

Pearl understood. "Okay then; practice is over for the rest of us," They all turned to leave.

Sapphire stood by the door; waiting for the red gem to exit. Her blue eyes watched as Ruby patted Lapis on the back and whispered something to Amethyst. The purple gem smirked, whispered something back, making Ruby blush deeply.

"Alright let's go," Ruby took her hand and pulled her out the door.

When it closed Sapphire looked at her. "What was that?"

"N-nothing…" Ruby looked at the clock. "But hey," She faced her girlfriend completely. "I'm going to go to my place and feed Lion; I'll see you in a few."

Sapphire frowned. "Can't I just go with you?"

"Oh, uhm…N-no," Ruby coughed. "Connie needs your help with something important, but…" She kissed Sapphire on the lips really quick. "After that I'll see you for…"

Sapphire smiled brightly; trying to stay calm. "…Our date. What should I wear?"

"Dress casual," Ruby responded; glancing to her left where Connie had just entered. "Alright. Connie do your thing; and I'll see you later around six,"

Sapphire nodded; holding the child close when she ran up to hug her waist. They watched Ruby teleport out of the room.

"Okay then," Sapphire looked down at the child. "What is so important, sweetie?"

Connie suddenly turned serious; looking around the living room for anyone suspicious. "I think Rose is in danger,"

"…" Sapphire's eyes widened; she struggled to form a sentence. "Let's go somewhere private to talk about this,"

Connie nodded sharply.

* * *

Ruby landed softly on the ground in front of a large deserted garage. Before she met Rose, when she first logged on, she would always hang out here with the gamers who didn't bother fighting. The players who just relaxed and had wild parties all gathered around at this warehouse.

Ruby took in the familiar smell of dirt and burning metal as she walked inside the strobe-lighted garage.

"If it isn't the gem smasher herself," A dark skinned girl with short black hair said from her spot on a large speaker. "I thought you were too good for our small crew; aren't you with the Crystal Gems now?"

Ruby smirked; crossing her arms defiantly. "Hey Jenny," She nodded her head at the other two teenagers standing beside Jenny. "Sour Cream, Buck,"

"Long time no see," Sour Cream smiled; hugging her briefly.

Buck was quick to do the same. "We thought you forgot all about us," He adjusted his shades.

"No way," Ruby shook her head. "Every time I go on a boss level you guys are at the top of my list; I want to end this game and get us all back home,"

She didn't really meet them inside the game like Rose or Greg. They go to her school in the real world; where they are rebels and trouble makers. Skipping school, throwing parties and avoiding their parent's wrath; but it's not like their parent's would ever do anything about it. They don't really care.

People think they're a lost cause but they're just a group of kids trying to stick together. When they realized they were trapped in the game they promised, if they made it out, to make a change; for kids just like them.

Jenny smiled; finally breaking character and wrapping an arm around the red gems neck. "And we will get out; what boss level are you on now?"

"Starting on eleven tomorrow," Ruby pulled herself away from her long term friend. "But I'm not here to talk about that…" She took a deep breath. "I'm going on a date tonight an-"

Jenny squealed; making the other three cover their ears.

"Oh my gosh finally!"Jenny was bouncing on her toes. "Who is she? Where are you taking her? What are you going to-"

Buck held his hands up. "Chill out, girl. Give Ruby some space,"

"No no; I'll answer the questions," Ruby laughed softly; teasing her curls in the back. "Her name is Sapphire-"

Jenny squealed.

"Right…Anyway, I'm planning on taking her here; like our own movie theatre type thing." Ruby blushed. "Since she's blind in real life I thought I'd be cool for her to see something that she's never witnessed…It's stupid I kn-"

Buck placed a hand on her shoulder; smiling. "It's great; I'm sure she's going to love it."

"Yeah; we can set up a wide projector on the wall of the garage," Sour Cream suggested. "And we can use the speakers for the volume,"

Jenny nodded. "And we can play a really romantic movie; I hear that you can buy them from Greg,"

Why would Greg be selling romantic movie?

"Nothing romantic," Ruby cringed at the thought. "How about something with action and only a slight romance; I don't think she's the dopey love story type."

At least Ruby hoped she wasn't; because that would be a problem.

"I know the perfect movie," Jenny grinned. "I'll get it for you,"

Sour Cream nodded. "And I'll set up the speakers and projector."

"I'll tackle the snacks," Buck stated.

Ruby smiled.

She had the best friends.

* * *

Sapphire and Connie sat across from each other on the ground on top of the temple sculpture. They were sitting high up on the concrete on top of head of the statue; a tense silence filled the air.

"Are you sure?" The blue asked softly.

"…Yes; I've been watching Lapis," Connie bit her lip. "Jasper is forcing her to give him information about Rose; he's planning to kill her…And I think it's going to happen tomorrow at our next mission," The child looked at her mother. "I came to ask you if you can see any possible outcomes where we can keep Rose alive; like maybe not going on the mission-"

Sapphire shook her head. "Every time I look into it she…dies," She took a breath. "But if we go to the mission I can sense something else being born,"

"New birth after death," Connie thought about it. "What kind of new birth?"

Sapphire shrugged. "I don't know, It's not allowing me to see that far, like; the situations keep changing but something amazing is going to happen," She touched her heart. "I can feel it."

"But still; we should talk to Rose about this," Connie said. "She and Greg have a right to know about the tragedy that is going to happen,"

Sapphire nodded. "Good idea,"

* * *

A bright light appeared in Greg's van. The older man looked up with a start; placing the meatloaf he was cooking back into the oven. He reached for a piece of work metal on the floor, protecting himself, as he raised it high above his head; preparing to strike at the intruder.

"It's just us Greg," Sapphire said softly when they landed safely.

"Oh," He chuckled nervously; smiling when he saw the familiar face. "Hey kid; long time no see, huh?" Greg raised an eyebrow when he saw Connie. "Is this…Connie?"

The child nodded with a slight blush rising on her cheeks.

"Nice to finally meet you," Greg smiled; dropping his metal scrap on the table. "Rose has told me a lot about you…Congratulations." He looked at Sapphire and winked.

Sapphire blushed.

"It's not like that," The blue girl whispered to herself before speaking up louder. "Speaking of Rose, is she here by any chance?"

Greg's face turned stoic as he walked into the living room. "Uhm, no I haven't."

Connie and Sapphire looked at each other and then followed him. They watched as he took a seat on the single chair in his small living area. Greg soundlessly picked up another random scrape of metal and went to work.

"Well, do you know where she is?" Connie asked; confused at the man's sudden attitude change. "We have something important to tell her."

The long hair man shrugged; keeping his eyes on his work. "I don't know where she is. She told me, yesterday, that she didn't want to be bothered with anyone today."

"Oh no," Connie whispered at the realization.

Sapphire was afraid of this.

Afraid of the fact that maybe Rose already knows that something bad is going to happen to her. So she's distanced herself from everyone; so they wouldn't worry about her. She's prepared to die; to leave them alone to face the game.

"Greg she's in trouble…" Sapphire spoke calmly.

The man didn't look up. "I know," They looked at him surprised, but not really (of course Rose would tell the love of her life). "Rose said something is about to happen and she's prepared for it,"

"And so am I." He looked up at them finally; holding up a small chip. "…she's pregnant," He whispered so soft that they had to strain to hear him.

Sapphire and Connie gaped; staring at him with wide eyes. How could Rose be pregnant and still be alive…

"Since she's stuck in this game there will be no chance for her to make it, but the baby…Steven," He smiled softly. "She believes that he will live in the real world but her body will..." Greg wouldn't finish the sentence; it was too painful.

Sapphire understood. "That's why she's okay with it. As long as he has a chance to live,"

"…Yeah," Greg sniffed; gently placing the chip back on the table. "He is due tomorrow but she still wants to go on the mission; as a debt to you guys. But she didn't want you all to worry,"

Connie frowned. "How could we not worry? Has she thought about how the rest of us are going to feel about this? She's the strongest player in the game; without her…" She looked away with her fist bawled; reminding Sapphire so much of Ruby. "Without her we're hopeless,"

 _'You guys are hopeless,'_  Connie thought.  _'When their life spans run out they will die and I'll…I'll just be stuck here alone,'_  She looked away; feeling useless.

"She wasn't just going to leave you guys alone," Greg frowned at the accusation. "She wasn't going to leave me, alone…I've created a program-"

Connie scoffed. "Like me?"

"Yeah," Greg mumbled. "It will transfer her abilities onto him, Steven. When she, dies, he will be the one to carry her shield. But he might not be able to poses all of her abilities,"

Sapphire nodded. "Because you designed him in the likeness of a child like Connie," She looked down at the child. "But if he can't control his powers then who will be left in charge until he can?"

She couldn't help but think that the team would be a mess if Rose wasn't there.

"She told me to tell you personally that you and Ruby will be in charge," Greg said.

Sapphire's eyes widened behind her heavy bangs; how could Rose would put them in charge so easily? She had only joined them a few weeks ago and Ruby; didn't have the patience for leadership.

"B-but why us?" Sapphire asked skeptical. "Pearl and Lapis are stronger than us; if anything they should be left in charge!"

Greg smiled softly. "She said together you two are strong and you've both proven yourselves. Ruby with her battle instinct and you with your open mindedness; she believes that together you will create something great," He grinned. "And honestly I believe in you two; the others honestly won't be much help for a while after Rose leave. They will be freaking out and they will feel angry, betrayed even."

"When that happens you two need to step up and control the situation," Greg looked away. "And please don't bring this up to anyone; especially Ruby…We all know how she gets,"

Sapphire nodded. "I promise. Will you be at the mission?"

"I have to get this chip ready," He motioned to his work. "When everything happens I will only have a certain amount of time to transfer her powers; if I take too long then they can fall into the wrong hands,"

Connie glared at the ground in thought. "Like Jasper,"

"Exactly," Greg said; he looked at them with pleading eyes. "This is the only shot we have to getting out of here; please understand that if there was another way-"

Sapphire nodded; not letting him continue. "We understand Greg,"

Her blue eyes looked at the clock on his wall. It read five fifty-six; Ruby is probably waiting for her.

Connie followed her mother's gaze. "Mama is waiting; we should probably get back,"

"…Yeah," Sapphire swallowed; trying to take everything in. "When are you going to see Rose again?"

Greg smiled. "I don't know but think of it like I do. Steven will have her abilities; he will be part of her so technically she isn't really  _gone_."

"…" Sapphire nodded; tears broaching the corner of her eyes.

Connie grabbed her mother's hand and smiled. Sapphire smiled back.

A bright light surrounded them and they were gone; leaving the older man deep in thought.

* * *

Ruby was itching to move but she remained still as she sat silently on the couch in the temple. She and her friends had finally finished with their work at the garage. A large monitor projected the movie onto one of the walls, two chairs were seated right in front of it and snacks were lined up for them. Ruby couldn't wait for Sapphire to see it but another part of her was nervous.

What if she didn't like it?

"Will you relax," She looked up to see Lapis frowning down at her; hands on her hips. "Sapphire is crazy about you; she's going to love anything you do for her,"

Ruby sighed; leaning more into her seat. "Yeah but what if-"

"No," Lapis glared at her. "She's going to love it…Because you thought of it yourself and you took the time to plan it for her."

The shorter gem looked up at the waterbender sheepishly. "Really?"

Lapis nodded. "Really," She sat down beside the red gem. "Where are you taking her? Amethyst told me something about a movie?" She frowned.

"Yeah," Ruby blushed. "Sapphire is blind in the real world so I'm taking her to see a movie…Pretty basic,"

Lapis giggled. "No it's cute," She pushed Ruby playfully when she rolled her eyes. "I mean it; it's not too much and not too little. If someone was taking me on a date I would like the movie thing,"

"And just in case you have awkward silences you can just watch the movie," The blue gem added absentmindedly.

Ruby shook her head and smiled. "There's no such thing with Sapphire," She looked down at her hands. "I can't explain it but…Whenever I'm with her I feel like nothing I say or do can make her think little of me. She kind of gives me…Security?" She frowned. "It's stupid-"

The waterbender listened with rapt attention. Whenever Ruby would talk about the other short gem Lapis would always get upset but not this time. Now she couldn't help the smile that was rising to her lips.

"You're such a romantic," Lapis settled.

Ruby rolled her eyes but couldn't stop her blush.

They were interrupted by the warp pad activating. Blue and Red eyes glanced at the teleportation device; when Sapphire and Connie became visible they both calmed down.

Sapphire narrowed her eyes when she saw them sitting on the couch together but offered them a smile none the less.

"Hey," The short blue gem mumbled.

Connie ran to the red gem; sitting herself in between Ruby and Lapis purposely. "We're back!"

"Yeah," Ruby grinned obliviously. "How was it?"

Connie struggled to form a sentence and settled with a weak smile. "…Interesting; but mommy took care of it just fine," She glanced at Lapis who averted her eyes.

"Uhm, I'm going to go-" Lapis said as she made to stand.

Ruby shook her head. "Nah you can stay; Sapph and I are about to head out anyway,"

All doubts were tossed away when Sapphire felt her beloved grab her hand and tug her to the warp pad. Ruby wasted no time in teleporting them.

"Close your eyes," Ruby said as they traveled through the void.

Sapphire giggled when Ruby placed her headband over her eyes, like a blindfold, for good measure. She tightened her grip on the red gems broad shoulders when they landed. Sapphire allowed Ruby to navigate her to their destination.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Sapphire asked; not able to hide her smile.

She heard movements and something shifting before Ruby spoke. "Okay, you can take off the blindfold,"

"…" Sapphire quickly tugged off the headband make shift blindfold; she gaped. "Whoa,"

Blue eyes took in the homemade theatre. A projector allowed a large picture to be viewed on the wall in front of them. Sapphire saw a small stand labeled 'snacks' where a teenager with pointy white hair was standing; ready to serve them. To her right another brown haired teen stood as an usher; ready to guide them through the dark to their seats with a small flashlight in his hand.

"…Ruby," Was all she could make out; looking to her left when the red gem walked beside her.

The red girl scratched the back of her neck. "You told me that you're blind in the real world so I wanted to kind of show you something that you've never been able to witness." She continued when Sapphire remained silent. "I had a few friends to help me; before I joined the Crystal Gems I hung out with these guys…Sour Cream is handling the snacks, Buck is our usher and Jenny is manning the movie,"

"If you don't like i-"

Sapphire grabbed her hand and smiled. "I love it…It's so thoughtful," She kissed Ruby on the lips before pulling away; grinning at the blush she created. "What movie are we watching?"

"Well, I didn't think you would want to watch some stupid romantic flick," She smiled when Sapphire shook her head at the thought of it. "So we're watching a cool action packed movie with only slight romance," Ruby motioned to Buck.

The man flashed his light to the isle leading to the two single chairs that sat together. Sapphire allowed Ruby to guide her to the seat; they both rested in their chairs.

"Would you two like anything to eat or drink?" Buck asked politely; a slight punkster accent hidden behind it.

Ruby looked at Sapphire. "They have popcorn, nachos, hotdogs, burgers and cheese fries; and for something to drink we only have water."

"I'll just take popcorn and a drink," Sapphire said; biting her lip to prevent her grin from spreading.

Ruby nodded; smiling at Buck. "I'll get the same; thanks dude,"

"Anything for you, Ruby." Buck responded with a grin as he walked over to the concession stand to place their order.

Ruby turned around and gave thumbs up to Jenny who was sitting in the sky booth with the movie projector. Jenny grinned and turned on the projector; the white screen was filled with color when the movie began.

Sapphire smiled. "This is so cool; I've never been to the theatre before…Thank you,"

"…It was no problem," Ruby whispered with a soft blush. "You're important to me, Sapph, and I know sometimes I act like an idiot but please be patient with me…"

Sapphire shushed her and leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder; she bit her lip. "Ruby…If I was keeping something from you, to protect you, would you be angry with me? Like angry enough to…"

Hate me.

"Hey," Ruby looked down at her with kind eyes. "Nothing you ever do will stop me from loving you and if you're keeping something from me then I'll just have to respect you and trust that everything is going to be fine…" She bit her lip. "Unless I have something to worry about…I don't right?" She fumbled out worried.

The blue gem thought about the question hard. Did they have something to worry about? Yes. They would have to worry about how everyone would cope with Rose's death and how they were going to make it out without her.

But Sapphire didn't want to worry about that right now.

Sapphire grabbed her hand. "No, you don't," She lied.

"…Good," Ruby ignored the weird feeling she had and looked at the screen. "It's starting; if you get scared you can hold on to me," She joked.

Sapphire grinned. "I think I'll be fine,"

Her gaze turned back to the screen as the movie began. Whatever happened tomorrow didn't matter right now; but what did matter was that Ruby would be by her side through it all. So screw the future.

Sapphire was living in the moment.


	12. Equivalent Exchange

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 12: Equivalent Exchange**

The short red gem gathered her weapons together for today's mission. Her hands traced over the smooth surface of her electrical powered sword; red eyes reflecting in the shiny tool. Ruby gently placed it into its protector that was wrapped around her back and double checked her shield before she exited her room.

It was strange. It was an ordinary day, as normal as it could get in this game, but Ruby still couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going to happen. Not only did she have a feeling; she also noticed that Lapis was being a little distant; at least more than usual. Whenever she tried to confront her, the waterbender would just mumble out a shaky response and deny it all; but was Ruby observant. Therefore she noticed how uncharacteristic her friend was being.

When the door closed to her room she looked around the living room.

Lars and Sadie were ready to go as they stood by the door; speaking to each other in hushed voices. Amethyst and Pearl were sitting on the couch and Connie was sitting in the kitchen with Sapphire; Lapis was nowhere to be found.

"Hey," Ruby said as she approached the two; taking a seat on the other side across from the pair.

Connie's face lifted into a smile. "Morning Mama; are you ready for today's mission?"

Although she was nothing but cheerful; Ruby couldn't help but see through the child's façade.

"…Mhm," Ruby nodded; glancing over to her girlfriend. "How's it going?" She raised an eyebrow.

Sapphire jumped lightly in her seat, not going unnoticed by the red girl, as she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Good," A shaky smile greeted Ruby.

"Right," Ruby sighed; looking away from her family to glance out the window.

The red gem was sick of people keeping things from her.

She knows that she told Sapphire that she'd trust her to keep certain things from her but it was hard when your own child knew. What could she tell Connie that she couldn't tell her?

Ruby was mostly worried about what was going to happen today. She hadn't even seen Rose since she was sick; now that she thought of it.

"Alright I hope you are all ready," Speaking of the pink leader. "Today we will be traveling to the cloud region. Greg has informed me that we will be going up against some hardcore dragons while we are up there so, Ruby."

The red gem looked up at Rose curiously.

"I'm going to need you by my side," Rose smiled at the startled expression. "Your fireproof abilities will become of use for me today; Sapphire will be with Lapis," She looked at Lapis who had just entered through the front door. "That's okay with you, right?"

Ruby frowned; there was something strange in Rose's eyes; and she knew Lapis saw it. The red gem watched Lapis shrink back.

"F-fine with me," The waterbender whispered loud enough for Rose to hear.

Rose smiled. "Okay let's go," Her pink eyes met with Ruby's before she turned around on the warp pad.

The smile of Rose Quartz used to fill the red gem with hope and reassurance but today it filled her with nothing but worry and fear.

Something big was bound to happen.

* * *

"Where are you going?" The child centipede asked curiously as he watched his aunt Peridot gather her weapons.

Peridot turned to face him and sighed; annoyed. "For the last time, brat, don't worry about it. Geez," She tested out her helicopter fingers that she would surely need today.

"I'm telling Jasp!" The green haired boy shouted; dropping his toy car as he ran out the living room. "Jasper!" His voice echoed in the halls.

Peridot rolled her eyes and went back to her maintenance check.

Centipedal's small legs moved rapidly as he searched for his parent figure. Green eyes sparkled when they saw a big bulky body standing in the doorway to his nursery room. The small boy wrapped his small arms around Jasper's thick muscled leg.

"Jasper!" He shouted out of breath; looking up at the orange gem.

"Centi I told you not to bother me today," Jasper huffed out as he picked up the child and rested him on his hip. "Peridot and I are going on a very important boss level,"

The child grinned; revealing a missing tooth. "Can I come; please?" He buffed his chest out. "I want to fight!"

"When you're older," Jasper walked further into the room and placed the child in his car shaped bed. "We aren't going to be home for a while so I need you to stay here and be a big boy; alright?"

He nodded and pulled the blankets up to his neck. "Why is this mission so important?" His youthful curiosity got the best of him.

"Because," Jasper smirked sinisterly. "After today everything is going to change,"

* * *

The light of the warp pad lighted up the cloud region that was filled with, well, clouds. Ruby admired how soft the ground was and took heed in how easy it would be to get lost. Everything, in every direction, was nothing but fluffy white cotton like balls; and they could barely even see the warp pad they stood on.

"Stay close everyone, I mean it, you can easily lose yourselves in here." Rose said as she began walking in an already designed path; Ruby right by her side.

The red gem didn't take her new position lightly; she was on high alert. Her hands sparked with electrical currents in case something jumped out of nowhere. She wished she would have brought Lion with her then maybe he could keep an eye out for Sapphire; but he was off doing his own thing.

And Ruby couldn't be two places at once so if something bad happened to her girlfriend she would just have to trust Lapis to have her back. But she had no doubts that they could protect themselves.

"Relax Ruby," Rose whispered with a soft smile. "Don't be so tense,"

The red gem gaped. "H-how can you not be? Anything can happen; we have to be on alert-"

"Being a leader isn't always about being on alert. Sometimes you have to be calm yet steadfast," Rose looked ahead of them. "In battle you're strength is your best asset but your over alertness was what got Sapphire hurt the last time-"

"My anger got her hurt," Ruby argued; not really angry but more interested in where the conversation was going.

Rose shook her head. "Not really," She smiled. "You were too focused on the job at hand that you weren't able to see her in need of help; by time you did it was too late. On the field it's all about having control; you have to know what's going on or things will get out of hand but if they do get out of hand you need to know how to control them,"

"…How do I control things when that happens?" The red gem asked.

Rose continued. "First you need to calm yourself down before you help the others-"

Ruby frowned. Were they still talking about battle?

"Then you need to fill them with hope and reassurance; and always be forgiving no matter what," Rose smiled down at her. "Those are the good qualities for a fighter and a leader,"

Ruby was confused. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Just take my advice," Rose smiled; looking ahead of them and coming to a stop. "Here…There should be a path leading to the boss,"

The red gem frowned. "But what about the minions," She whispered as she looked around for them.

Suddenly a weak dragon squawk reached their ears.

"Why, why would you ask that," Amethyst groaned out.

Ruby shrugged sheepishly. "S-sorry,"

The distant sound of wings flapping and dragons communicating filled the cloud region; they knew they were here. But they had no idea where the beasts were; the clouds were blocking their vision and the noises were growing closer.

"Calm down," Rose said without looking at her. "You have to be in control."

Ruby nodded; taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She felt sparks begin to go off on her fists. Her senses were now open and it allowed her power to course through her veins; stronger than before.

So when a baby dragon jumped out in front of her and Rose; Ruby was ready.

Her fists blasted powerful lightening that poof'd the beast on contact; blackened feathers were all that remained.

"There it is," Rose smiled and then pointed ahead of them where two paths lie. "The baby dragons are coming in that direction so they must be protecting the boss from there," The pink leader turned around to face her party. "We need to split up-"

Pearl frowned. "What? Why can't we all just go in that direction?"

"There are two hallways, Pearl." Rose said calmly; gesturing to the cloudy forks in the road. "It would be easier if we split up to cover more ground," She looked forward. "Ruby and I will go to the left while the rest of you take the other hall."

Pearl objected. "But I thought you said the boss would be where the dragons are coming from? Nothing is in that direction,"

"Which is an even better reason to check it out," The large woman smiled. "Don't worry; if nothing is there we'll catch back up with you…Let's move,"

Ruby quickly followed her team leader to the selected passage way; fading deep into the clouds. Pearl huffed, disapprovingly, and led the rest of the party through the other hallway; slicing dragons that dared get in her way. Sapphire extracted her sword when a beast attacked her; not noticing Lapis slip away from the group.

* * *

"Why are you here?"

Connie looked up, surprised. After the others left on the mission she and Lion decided to stay with Greg. They were all sitting inside his living room slash work space as he kept an eye on the new program; Steven. It was already finished; he was just waiting for the signal to start it up.

"I-I mean, not to be rude or anything," Greg sat up straighter in the single chair. "But shouldn't you two be on the battle field with the others? Won't they need your help for when Jasper and his goons ambush them?"

Connie shook her head and leaned in further on Lion's side. "My mother-Sapphire," She corrected when he frowned. "Wanted us to be here to protect you just in case Jasper picked up on Rose's power from here when you transfer it into the system,"

"…So that means," Greg gulped.

Connie finished for him. "That means Jasper is going to be after you and when that happens Lion and I will protect you,"

Greg smiled when Lion roared softly before lying back down. He turned his attention down to the small chip that would soon come to life. His eyes closed; Greg knew that he wouldn't be able to see his child be born in real life but in a way he would be able to see it in the game. Steven would have part of Rose inside him so therefore he was really their child.

And Rose would live inside of him even in her death.

* * *

Sapphire used her super speed to narrowly avoid a fire blast from the baby dragon that flew above her head. She ran to hide behind a cloud that was ground level and closed her eyes; coming up with dozens of possibilities. Some of which involved her getting burned if she stepped to the right, getting blinded by a smoke attack of she went left and getting blasted by a sound wave if she took too long to decide.

So in her haste she jumped high into the air until she was directly behind the flying beast. She cringed when his scaly dry skin became visible but pulled her sword out despite the grotesqueness. Rising it high; she swung hard on the black gem on its back.

The creature let out a spine tingling screech as it popped. Sapphire landed softly on her feet and looked around.

"I think that's all of them," Sapphire paused. "Where's Lapis?" She asked; just now noticing the waterbenders' disappearance.

Amethyst walked over to her; holding her energy whips in her right hand. "She probably left to help Rose and Ruby since we're done here,"

"Oh no," Sapphire whispered to herself. "It's starting…"

Pearl, not paying any attention to the shorter girl, began to walk back from where they came. "Well there is nothing here and we're already finished so let's get back and help them ou-"

"You clods aren't going anywhere,"

They all looked up when the sinister voice traveled through the cloud region. Sapphire's blue eyes widened; she knew they were coming but it didn't help to ease her surprise.

Peridot stood before them; blocking the exit with over two dozen large marble creatures. They were circles of many diverse sizes and colors. Four rectangle skinny sticks rested below them as legs; they walked around aimlessly and made the Crystal Gems slowly back away into the corner.

"It's an ambush!" Amethyst growled out; snapping her whips threateningly as one of the marbles drew closer. "They knew we were here!"

Pearl, face pale, gripped her spear tightly in her hands. "B-but how?"

"Lapis," Sapphire whispered to herself.

Peridot fed off their startled expressions; jumping off of a marble creature to approach them. "Don't worry crystal clods; Jasper is only here for your precious pink leader,"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on Rose!" Pearl shouted furiously; taking a step forward to attack.

Sapphire had a quick vision of a marble creature hurling acid at Pearl and melting her skin if she stepped any closer.

"No," The blue girl held Pearl back. "They shoot acid at you that can burn through any of our weapons." Sapphire glanced at Lars and Sadie. "Don't try anything unless you want to be disintegrated."

Pearl growled lowly; realizing that it was useless. She felt useless. Rose was in trouble and they couldn't do anything to help her.

Unless.

"Ruby," Pearl whispered.

Sapphire looked at the skinny girl when she mentioned her lover's name. "…What about her?"

The blue gem had been willing herself to not think of the red girl and just how much danger she was truly in.

"She's with Rose," Pearl said obviously.

Amethyst nodded eagerly. "Maybe they can take Jasper down together; Rose is already stronger than him,"

"I hate to crush your hopes but…" Peridot sneered. "Lapis isn't as loyal as she appears to be,"

"What do you mean?" Sadie asked the question all but Sapphire were worried about.

The green gem sighed; not in the mood to story tell. "Lapis was sent to you by Jasper as an attempt to get in touch with all of your secrets…Well at least the useful ones." She waved her hand lazily. "She told us all about your abilities," She glanced at Lars. "Congratulations on actually having a power."

Lars glared at her.

"I can't believe her," Amethyst slumped down against the wall. "After we let her into our family and treated her like she was one of us!"

Peridot laughed. "Family means nothing in this game; it's all about having power!" She grinned at their defeated expressions. "Don't worry; Jasper and Lapis should be finished soon and then you'll be free to go," She turned around and her fingers shifted into a communication device.

Sapphire looked around at the defeated looks on her friend's faces. Rose was in trouble but maybe Ruby could somehow talk some sense into Lapis. Sapphire sighed; she didn't want to give up even though this was what Rose wanted.

Sapphire was about to sit down when suddenly a possibility of them escaping from Peridot came to her.

Glancing at the distracted green gem Sapphire whispered to her friends. "Guys," They all looked at her.

"I have a plan,"

* * *

Ruby silently followed behind Rose as they continued their journey through the narrow passage way. So far they hadn't seen any dragons or…Anything. Just cloudy walls; it seemed as if nothing was ahead of them.

"I don't think there is anything here," Ruby sighed; dragging her sword on the floor lazily.

Rose nodded. "I know,"

"What?" Ruby looked up at the larger woman; confused. "Th-then why did we go this way? We should have stayed with the others," She glared at the pink gem, accusingly. "Everyone has been acting so weird lately; does this have something to do with that?"

Rose sighed softly. "I just wanted them to be out of the way when it happens,"

"When what happens?" Ruby was sick of people keeping things from her. "Rose please; you aren't making an-"

Rose reacting quickly; casted her impenetrable bubble around her and Ruby. The red gem then watched as a large orange ball like creation came spiraling towards them; only to collide into Rose's shield. It bounced back at the contact and fell a few feet away from them.

Ruby gasped when she saw Jasper reveal himself. She looked up at Rose who didn't seem at all surprised.

"You knew he was coming?" Ruby was shocked.

Rose bit her lip and removed her shield. "Yes…"

"…Did," Ruby clenched her sword tightly. "Did Sapphire know?" She looked away when Rose nodded. "Unbelievable." She scoffed.

There was a limited to how intense the secret's Sapphire kept from her were and this was beyond it.

"I'm sorry but I have my reasons and when you realize them then I know you'll understand," Rose pulled out her own sword and finally greeted their guest. "Jasper, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The orange gem snarled. "I think you already know Rosie; I'm here to take what belongs to me…Your power," Jasper glared at them. "I want it and I'm going to get it!" His headwear magically appeared on his head.

"Over my dead body," Ruby shouted; getting in a fighting stance with her shield raised.

"I would love to pound you to the ground, Ruby," Jasper looked behind them. "But you have a bigger problem on your hands; right Lapis?"

Ruby and Rose looked around to see the waterbender standing behind them. The red gem gaped; watching Lapis extract water from her back in the shape of wings. She pulled water out of the clouds and it surrounded her like a shield. She got into a stance; ready for the red gem to attack.

"L-lapis," Ruby spoke flabbergasted. "You were working with him this whole time? How could you,"

Jasper chuckled. "She isn't stupid; she knows who is going to be victorious at the end of this and she wants her share. Now face me Rose; I am growing impatient,"

"Ruby," Rose said; turning around to face Jasper so she and Ruby were back to back. "I didn't choose you because you are fireproof; I knew that Lapis was going to betray us but I also know that if anyone can talk some sense into her then it's you,"

Ruby was still trying to process everything. "What about you?"

"No matter what; just know…" Rose made contact with her red eyes. "This is my choice and I wanted this to happen," She began stepping forward to Jasper; but not before whispering one final request.

"Take care of them, Ruby."

* * *

"Are you telling us that the boss is in this room?" Pearl asked; trying to wrap her head around the plan. "B-but that would mean Rose and Ruby are at a dead end-"

Amethyst finished for her. "With Jasper," She looked at Sapphire. "So what if the boss is here; how does that help us?"

"The boss's minions are baby dragons so he has to be a larger one, right?" She continued when they all nodded. "And if you look up; you can see that his nest is up there…"

Lars looked up and saw a large slimy cocoon like lump in the ceiling wall. You wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely at it; and since they destroyed all of the baby dragons there was no one there to protect it.

"So I was thinking; if we somehow get it out of there we can ride it and fly passed Peridot," Sapphire looked at them. "Peridot won't be able to stop us and the dragons rough skin texture will be immune to her marble creatures spit attacks."

Pearl shook her head. "This is a suicide mission, Sapphire."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Amethyst shot back. "Because if you haven't noticed; Rose and Ruby could be dead!" She whisper shouted.

Sapphire flinched.

Amethyst noticed and called down. "I'm sorry but it's true,"

"I know," She regretted not telling Ruby while she had the chance but it was too late now. "How about we vote on it? Raise your hand if you're in-"

Lars groaned. "We're all in let's just do this," He looked at the blue girl. "How are we going to get him out and why would he even obey us?"

"We can use Amethyst's whips as a harness to control him," Sapphire said. "And Pearl; shoot out some blasts from your spear to break the nest,"

Sadie shook her head. "No way; that will make Peridot notice for sure," She stretched her arms. "Leave that to me,"

"B-but how are y-" Pearl began.

Lars grinned. "Sadie has stretching abilities; she can take my sword and stretch her hand up high enough to cut the nest,"

"Great idea; but you should use my crystal sword," Sapphire handed it to her. "Mine is stronger and can cut through almost anything."

Sadie gladly took the ice crystal sword and slowly began stretching her right arm up the wall. Sapphire bit her lip and turned around to see where Peridot was; the green gem was still playing around with her indicator device.

Sapphire turned back around to see Sadie carefully cutting into the tissue like cocoon. Her red sword seemed to slice through it like paper. They all watched as a dark purple gas like substance hissed out of the slice made by the weapon.

Sadie quickly drew her hand back when something inside began to move. Sapphire grabbed her sword and looked up.

Suddenly something inside the cocoon jumped out and onto the floor; crushing a handful of marble creatures. They covered their faces when a mint green sticky substance splattered on them. Sapphire plunged her sword into the floor; holding herself up when the ground began to shake due to the monsters decent to the ground.

"What are you clods up-" Peridot gaped. "…To,"

A large purple dragon stood tall; towering over them all with a menacing glare. It stood on four sturdy legs equipped with sharp claws that put Sapphire's sword to shame. Its eyes were cold and yellow as the monster sneered at them; revealing sharp rotten teeth.

A long tail sat limp behind it and its wings stood erect in the air; it wasn't planning on going anywhere for quite some time.

"A boss," Peridot shrieked. "I thought they had gotten to them all…Marbles; don't just stand there, attack!"

Sapphire watched a few of the marbles be flicked away by the dragon's tail and slammed into the wall; bursting upon impact. She looked away from the horrid display.

"Now is our chance before Peridot comes to her senses," Sapphire looked at the purple gem. "Use your whips while it's distracted and wrap a noose around the neck. Try and hold it back while find a way on,"

Amethyst didn't need to be told twice. She took advantage of the marble's distraction and tossed her whips. Four of them circled the beast's neck and tied around themselves; getting a good hold on the dragon.

When she pulled back the beast let out a shriek at the pressure on its neck. The dragon's wings began to flutter; a strong breeze pushed them all back.

"He's trying to escape!" Sapphire shouted over the wind. "We have to move, now!"

Lars grabbed Sadie's hand and pulled her along as he followed behind Sapphire and Pearl. Amethyst created another whip to hold down the beast's tail; allowing her friends to climb on.

Peridot gasped. "Are you clods trying to die?"

Sapphire climbed the scaly back of the beast until she reached the neck where Amethyst's ropes were still tied. She waited until the others were safely on before she turned to Amethyst.

"Hold on, I'm going to pull you up!" Sapphire tossed the rope back to her friends and they all began to pull the chubby girl off the ground just us the dragon began to fly.

Amethyst grabbed onto Sapphire's waiting hand and allowed the girl to pull her up and onto the dragon. The purple girl now sat in front with the ropes in her hands; she was in control.

"Let's go buddy!" Amethyst whipped the beast lightly and held on tight when it went flying; high above Peridot and her marbles. "Woohoo!"

Peridot growled. "Do something you useless balls!"

The marble's tried shooting acid blasts but it hit the dragon's wings and melted off.

"Ugh!" Peridot shouted; kicking one of the mini marbles. "You are all useless!" She held her hand up high and watched as her fingers began to move rapidly; lifting her into the air.

Lars gasped. "Guys!" He shouted over the wind. "Her fingers are catching up with us! What do we do?"

"Leave this to me," Pearl used her spear to shoot blasts at the villain behind them.

Peridot narrowly missed one and struck her tongue out. "Ha! You miss you c-" In her gloating; she didn't see the blast coming towards her until she was knocked back to the ground.

She groaned in agony.

"Hmf," Pearl grinned; turning back to Sapphire. "You know…This plan was completely barbaric but-good job," She smiled.

Amethyst cheered. "Yeah; Ruby will be so proud of you!" She kissed the dragon's neck softly. "Do you think Rose will let me keep this guy?"

Rose.

"It's not over yet," Sapphire warned. "We still need to stop Jasper and Lapis before it's too late."

Amethyst nodded; she whipped the beast causing it to go faster.

"Then let's go!"

* * *

Ruby cringed when she heard Rose cry out. Her red eyes looked behind her to where the pink gem was. Rose had been head bunted by Jasper's headgear and was now resting on her knees; struggling to rise. Ruby growled and went to run to her.

"I don't think so," Lapis casted water to rise and block her path. "You have to deal with me first."

Ruby glared at the water before turning to the bender. "Lapis; why are you doing this? Jasper does nothing but hurt you yet you're still taking his side!" She didn't understand. "We give you a place to sleep, we make you part of our family and we forgive you of your past!" Ruby shook her head. "I thought we were friends…"

"…I have to do this," Lapis bit her lip.

"Why?" Ruby challenged.

"Because if I don't he'll hurt you!" Her response left Ruby frozen. "If I keep you back he promised to spare your life…I don't want y-"

Ruby glared at her furiously. "Are you serious? You're such a coward! Thinking that by letting Rose die will keep me safe-"

"It will!" Lapis objected.

The red gem scoffed. "Does this seem safe to you Lapis? When he kills Rose where do you think her powers are going to go? Up in the freaking sky and become a damn star?" Her voice rose. "This isn't a joke, Lapis. When you make decisions it affects not only me but everybody; if Jasper gets his hands on that power then he won't think twice when he slices my neck open-"

"Shut up!" Lapis shouted; falling to her knees and covering her ears. "This is the right thing to do…It's going to keep you safe."

"…And what about you," Ruby asked. "Will you be able to live with the guilt of Rose's death; knowing that you could have done something to stop it."

Lapis said nothing.

"If you can then you must be as heartless as Jasper," Ruby glared at her before turning back around. "You're not worth my time." She started running to Rose but was halted when something wet touched her ankles and wrists.

Lapis had handcuffed her with large pools of water. "I can't let you do that," She looked away.

"Let me go," Ruby struggled to get loose; watching Jasper raise his sword high as Rose lay helpless on the floor. "Lapis let me go!" Her voice was cracking and she felt tears rising in her eyes.

Rose looked back at her and smiled; blood dripping from her head where Jasper had hit her. "It's okay…"

"N-no…Rose no!" Ruby had stopped trying to hold her tears back.

A stray tear fell down Rose's face. "Forgive her Ruby; promise me?"

"…" Ruby sobbed as she spoke incoherently but found her voice when Jasper's sword met with the pink gems neck. "NO!"

Ruby watched, terrified, as Rose's health bar dropped to zero. The pink gems body then began to vanish within thin air. She stood motionless; not even trying to get out of the hold Lapis had on her. Rose's game pixels floated into the air and formed a faint rose before they became so transparent that they were gone.

It was still for a moment before a small object floated down to them. Ruby quickly realized that it was Rose's gem stone; Jasper was grinning as he reached for it.

"…No." Ruby said sternly before she shot a large amount of electrical currents from her body. "I won't let this happen…"

The currents traveled through the water and blasted Lapis. The waterbender shrieked when she was tossed back onto the floor; tiny shocks were coursing through her body. She was paralyzed.

"The power is mine," Jasper sneered as he watched the gem float down to him.

Ruby, now free, jump into the air with her hands stretched out. She reached for the gem but it was beginning to fade away.

"Wha-" Ruby's thumb brushed over it and before she knew it she was teleported out of the cloud region.

She could faintly hear someone calling her name before everything went black.

* * *

"Ruby!" Sapphire shouted when she saw the red gem vanish along with Rose's gem.

They had made it just in time to see Rose die right in front of them. None of them could grab her gemstone because they were all in too much shock. But Ruby wasn't and now wherever Rose's gem was going that's where her girlfriend was.

"No!" Jasper shouted; he glared at the waterbender who was still paralyzed. "This is all your fault; I told you to tie her down! And how did you all escape?" He faced them. "I thought Peridot was holding you!"

Pearl glared at him. "We took care of her and you better scram before we do the same with you!"

"You're not the boss of me!"

Sapphire's voice was cold and emotionless. "Apparently we are." She pointed at the red diamond floating above the gems head. "When you kill a player in the game you are branded a corrupted gem-"

"So, big deal my diamond changed colors!" Jasper scoffed.

Lars smirked. "No. That means the game takes away your powers because they believe you are too far gone and dangerous," He watched as Jasper began to fade.

"So in other words," Sapphire spoke. "You fade away."

Jasper's eyes widened; he tried to wave his arms around and stop the process. "No! This is insane I thought-"

"You thought you could kill someone and get away with it," Pearl glared at him; tears still wet in her eyes. "This game may be anarchy but one rule still exists."

Jasper gaped. "What rule?"

"Equivalent exchange," Sadie spoke; finally understanding. "To obtain, something of equal value must be lost."

"Bu-but that doesn't make any sense!" Jasper's voice faded into the air as his body broke apart fully.

Sapphire shook her head; it made perfect sense. "Your life for Steven's life,"

They all turned to look at her, confused.

"I'll explain later but first someone grab Lapis," She held her hand up when they objected. "We are not going to become like Jasper! If you don't trust her then tie her up with a whip and drag her along,"

Pearl frowned. "Where are we going? Rose's power is still out there and Ruby is with it-"

"I know where she is," Sapphire mumbled; looking straight ahead stoically.

"She's with Greg…"


	13. Birth

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 13: Birth**

Ruby groaned in agony when she landed on her stomach; Rose's gem clutched tightly into her hands as she tried to catch her breath.

"Ruby?"

She looked up, cautiously. Her red eyes meeting with other familiar irises; Connie, Lion and Greg stared at her in confusion.

"Mama," Connie was the first to move; resting on her knees in front of the red gem. "Are you alright? How-how did you get here,"

Ruby stuttered out a response; still traumatized by what had happened just a few minutes ago. "Rose…Gone, Lapis—traitor…" She shook her head. "Jasper-"

"Shh," Connie calmed her down. "There was nothing you could do."

Greg clenched his fists; looking away from the two on the ground. "So…Jasper got to it before we could," Ruby watched as he kicked a scrap of metal. "All of this work for nothing, now she will surely have died in vain,"

"…W-wait," Ruby mumbled.

The older man watched as Ruby sat up fully; holding out her hands that were clasped around something. He raised an eyebrow but waited patiently as she removed her top hand; a pink Quartz gem was revealed.

"You have it?" Greg gasped; stuck between relief and joy.

Ruby nodded; motioning for him to take it which he did with great care. "…Jasper was reaching for it but I escaped from Lapis soon enough to grab it before him," She told the man.

"…Ruby," He felt tears prickle in the corner of his eyes; smiling softly. "Thank you—now, we have to hurry up before Jasper gets half a mind to find out where Rose's power is coming from,"

Ruby watched, with a frown on her face, as Greg pulled out a small chip. "I'm sorry but…Am I missing something here?" She got up; refusing Connie's help.

Greg ignored her and merged the chip with the Quartz gem into a single folder with his menu bar. An icon indicated that it was loading;  _five percent._

The red gem felt her anger rise as she recalled what had just happened.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save her," Ruby said weakly with her fist clenched. "…I-I should have been able to get away from Lapis faster—then maybe…"

_Fifteen percent_

Greg shook his head. "No…Ruby none of this is your fault,"

_Twenty percent_

"Bu-but," Ruby stuttered helplessly. "I should have known Lapis would do something like this, I can't believe I trusted her! I'm such an idiot," She scoffed. "Actually thinking she could change,"

_Thirty percent_

"Ruby, this is what Rose wanted," Greg smiled. "It was all part of her plan."

The red gem frowned.

_Forty five percent_

Red eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'she planned this',"

"…" Greg rubbed his balding head. "Sapphire didn't tell you?" He whispered; glancing at Connie for help.

_Fifty five percent_

"Tell me what?" Ruby clamped her teeth together.

Connie hesitated. "It-it's a plan by Rose to transfer her power into a single system," She began. "That way when she's…gone, we can still have a way to use her shield and weapons during boss levels; her way of helping us,"

_Sixty five percent_

"So Sapphire knew about this for, how long?" Ruby questioned.

"We just found out yesterday, mama,"

Ruby held her hand up. "Wait,"

_Seventy five percent_

"You knew about this?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you two were acting weird earlier,"

Connie nodded. "Please understand-"

_Eighty percent_

"Understand what Connie?" Ruby huffed out furiously. "The fact that basically everyone knew that Rose was going to die and did nothing to st-"

Greg glared at her. "She wanted this!"

_Ninety percent_

"…" Ruby gaped.

The older man looked at the loading file. "She was pregnant in the real world so it was only a matter of time before her body gave away,"

_Ninety five percent_

"She's having a kid…" Ruby tried to clarify.

"Yes," Greg nodded. "His name is Steven an-"

_One hundred percent_

Greg shut his mouth and quickly clicked on the finished file. He extracted it from his menu bar; Rose's gem fell to the ground softly. Ruby watched silently as it lit up; transforming into a figure.

A chubby boy with curly brown hair appeared before them. He was wearing a light red shirt with a yellow star in the center, blue jeans that folded at the ankle and brown sandals. Light brown eyes opened; blinking slowly as they took in their surroundings.

"…" Greg reached forward. "Steven?"

Said child looked at the older man; he grinned. "Dad," Steven cheered as he ran into his father's arms.

"Steven," Greg held the child close to him. "Welcome to the world…" He grinned.

The curly haired boy pulled away. "I've been waiting so long to meet you," His brown eyes softened. "…but I'm just upset that mom had t-"

Greg hushed him. "Steven she wanted you to be in this world; you were no mistake," His father poked him in the chest. "And she will always exist inside of you…"

"Really," Steven asked; a smile on his chubby face.

Greg nodded. "Yeah," He motioned to the gem behind him. "Steven—this is Ruby,"

Ruby watched, shocked, as the boy turned to face her. He gasped loudly and jumped down from his father's arms. His chubby arms wrapped around the red gem; pulling her into a tight hug.

"…" Ruby held her arms stiff at her side; not knowing how to feel about the child.

Steven didn't let go. "I know who Ruby is! Mom somehow left behind all of her memories with me," He rested his chin on her shoulder. "…Thank you for trying to help," He whispered.

"Anytime kiddo," Ruby found herself hugging the child back; not being able to resist his adorable nature.

Steven pulled away and smiled sheepishly. "So am I like your nephew now?"

"Uhm," Ruby looked at Greg.

The man nodded. "That's your aunt Ruby, kid."

"Then yeah," Ruby smiled. "I guess you're my nephew."

Steven grinned. "Then can I ride Lion one day?" The stars in his eyes reminded her so much of his mother.

Ruby watched as the pink animal rubbed his head against Steven. "You know what—why don't you just keep him?" She asked nonchalantly.

Greg and Connie gaped.

"R-really?" Steven gasped; not hiding his joy.

"Yeah why not," Ruby smiled; watching Lion lick the child's face. "Lion doesn't like me very much and he seems to really like you; consider this a birthday gift," She tussled his curly hair affectionately.

Greg smiled approvingly.

"You're the best aunt in the world!" Steven cheered.

"Don't you forget it, kiddo," Ruby held her hand out; the other system grabbed it without a thought. "Steven; do you remember Connie?"

A blush rose to his face; he nodded. "I-I remember seeing her but she and my mother didn't speak much," He held his hand out nervously. "Nice to meet you,"

"Hello Steven," Connie spoke sheepishly.

Ruby and Greg exchanged a look.

"How about you show Steven around Beach City?" Ruby looked at Connie. "You two can take Lion and go to the arcade or something," She looked at Greg. "Is that okay with you?"

He nodded. "Of course," Greg smiled. "You kids have fun."

Steven hugged his father one more time before jumping onto Lion; Connie right behind him. The pink beast let out a roaring portal and jumped through it.

Ruby sighed when they were finally gone and sat down in a chair. "Okay Greg, tell me everything,"

"…" He nodded.

* * *

"She's with Greg?" Pearl frowned; turning to face the back of Sapphire's head. "Why would Rose's gem be going there?"

Amethyst tied a passed out Lapis to the end of the dragon's tail with her power whips. Ruby had shocked the water gem to the point of exhaustion; leaving her slightly paralyzed and weak.

The purple girl then climbed back to the neck and took the reins again.

"No time to explain," Sapphire bit her lip; hoping that Ruby was safe and Greg's plan was working. "Is she tied on tight?" She gestured to Lapis in the back.

The purple gem nodded. "I still think we should leave her but whatever," She looked back at the short girl. "Does anyone have a green shard? That way we can open up a portal,"

"Yeah," Lars went into his menu bar and extracted the rare object. "Catch!" He tossed the medium sized green diamond to Amethyst. "Just think of where you want to go and it will take you." The teenage boy alerted her.

Amethyst nodded when she caught the shard by the edge and tossed it into the air effortlessly; her mind set on Greg's van. They stared up, awed, and watched as it exploded. A variety of colors followed the explosion; looking like fireworks as they swirled into a mass portal. Heavy winds dared to suck in anything that it could.

"Let's go Devin!" Amethyst shouted; snapping the whips that controlled the powerful beast.

Green eyes watched as the dragon roared at the command and jumped into the air with powerful legs. His wings spread wide as he flew into the portal that called to them.

Peridot revealed herself from her hiding spot, glaring, as she watched them disappear into the portal. An idea stuck her mind as she used her fingers to lift her into the air, eyes narrowed; she got into the void just as it was closing.

"I won't let your death be in vain, Jasper," Peridot, whispered, glaring at the dragon's tail a few feet away from her. "Get ready Crystal clods; I'm on my way,"

She followed behind, cautiously, revenge fresh on her mind.

* * *

"Okay," Greg sighed; leaning against the long couch in his van. "In the real world Rose and I were really married for three years; we always wanted a child but it was never the right time. With me out of work and her working on her college degree," He shrugged. "But then I got an offer to test out these role playing games-"

Ruby was aware. "You're a beta tester like me?"

She recalled how they paid her to check out many new games that Japan created.

"Yeah; and I figured that since Rose would be done with school soon and have a decent career that we might try it," He continued. "Everything was going great when I was chosen to test the new game Crystal Gems Online; the first few times we used it were fine and exciting, we fell in love…You know how it was like right?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah; we were the strongest players in the game," She looked at her hands. "She was a good friend."

"…Then one day we just got trapped in here but she didn't lose hope," Greg grinned. "She kept leading you guys like nothing happened; she saw Jasper attacking as a chance to bring Steven into the world. This was her choice Ruby," He looked at her. "And we have to accept that."

Ruby messed with her curly hair. "B-but who's going to lead us now? Steven is great and all but can he handle her power?" She questioned.

"Rose said that it will take time for him to master it but over time he will come around," Greg told her. "And she's putting you and Sapphire in charge,"

"I was afraid of that," Ruby huffed; looking away from the man.

Greg frowned. "Why?"

"Seriously?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what I'm doing; Rose told me that to be a great leader you have to be forgiving but I can't…Not after what Lapis did,"

Greg understood. "What about over time?"

"…" Ruby opened and closed her mouth.

The older man nodded softly. He began to speak when a bright flash shinned through his windows followed by something heavy landing on the ground. It shook the van; causing random pictures and lamps to fall from their places. Greg held onto the chair tightly; his teeth clamping together in anxiety.

Ruby, upon hearing a strange strangled cry, jumped down from the single chair. She ignored Greg's pleas and slammed the door open. Her feet trampled down the old wooden stairs; coming to an abrupt stop at the sight before her.

A large purple dragon had fallen from the sky; carrying her teammates on its back. The beast made to jump at her but Amethyst pulled her whips tightly causing the monster to whimper and knell down on its fore arms. His head rested in the dirt with defeat.

"Rub's you're alive!" Amethyst cheered; tossing the other end of the whips to a tree stump.

Ruby blinked. "What the hell Amethyst? Isn't that the boss dragon we were supposed to destroy," She watched her purple friend jump down.

"Come Ruby, Devin totally saved us from Peridot-"

"You named that monster!" Ruby's eyes widened in disbelief.

Amethyst scoffed. "Of course I did; and you should let me keep him since you got to keep Lion," She challenged.

"…" Ruby opened her mouth.

"She's right Ruby,"

They both looked around to see Sapphire walking up to them hesitantly. Her hands tugged at her hair; a nervous quirk Ruby noticed she possessed.

"Yeah well, I let Steven have Lion for his birthday," Ruby said; voice laced with hot furry.

Sapphire bit her lip.

"Uhm, whose Steven?" Pearl asked; walking to stand beside the purple gem.

Amethyst nodded. "Yeah, Sapphire you said something about Jasper's life for Steven's life; what did that mean?"

Ruby glanced at her girlfriend. "Steven is Rose's son," She watched them gape; even Lars and Sadie were surprised as they stood a few feet away from the cluster. "In the real world she and Greg were married and had long since planned on having a son but when they got trapped in here they knew that their time was limiting. She came up with a plan, knowing that she wouldn't be alive soon."

"So Greg created a system, like Connie, that will be able to wield Rose's power; her shield and sword if you will. That way even though she is dead Steven will still be able to help us," Ruby looked at them all. "But this was her choice; she wanted to do this so her son could live in the real world,"

Pearl was the first to break from shock. "W-well as long as this was her choice…Where's Steven?" She shoved away her selfish needs.

"Yeah," Amethyst said in a fake excited voice. "Where is the little guy?"

"I sent him with Connie to explore Beach City; I don't want him here when Jasp-"

Sapphire cut her off. "Jasper died,"

"What?" Ruby gasped. "How,"

Sadie spoke; drawing Ruby's attention. "The law of equivalent exchange; his life for Steven's life,"

Ruby sighed. "That's one less thing to worry about—"

Suddenly a loud cry sounded from behind them. They turned around to see Lapis struggling to get out of her ropes; Ruby growled.

"What the hell is she doing here?" The red gem glared at the others for answers.

Amethyst scoffed. "Ask your girlfriend; we were all fine with leaving Lapis there but Sapphire made us bring her with us,"

Ruby faced the girl. "Are you serious? After everything she's done-"

"Please understand," Sapphire said calmly; watching steam appear from Ruby's body. "Rose left us in charge a-"

"No," Ruby shook her head as she backed away from Sapphire. "She left  _you_ in charge—you can forgive that traitor all you want but I'm out of here,"

The broken family watched as Ruby walked away from them and towards the wide open land. Sapphire chased after her with her super speed when she saw the red gem getting ready to teleport. She grabbed Ruby by the arm; turning her around.

"Ruby stop!" Sapphire exalted. "Rose is gone, we need to stick together an-"

Ruby scoffed. "Stick together, really Sapphire? I didn't see you sticking together with me when you were keeping all those secrets from me," She shoved her arm away; trying to not be affected by the hurt look on Sapphire's face. "Yeah I know all about you and Connie keeping this from me; how could you not tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd react l-"

"No!" Ruby interrupted her with a fierce shout. "You  _assumed_  that I'd react like that. You should have at least given me the benefit of the doubt; maybe I would have freaked out but maybe I would have been there to comfort you," She pulled out a blue crystal and crushed it. "But you had no right to decide for me,"

Sapphire whimpered. "I'm sorry-"

"…I'm sorry that you don't trust me," Ruby stepped into her portal created by the blue crystal; not looking back even as Sapphire called out to her, no.

Ruby was sick of listening.

* * *

Greg stepped out of the van when he saw Ruby and Sapphire run away from the rest of the group. He looked at the others; Sadie and Lars were sitting down beside the tree stump, Amethyst and Pearl were speaking quietly and there was a dragon in his yard…Wait.

"Dragon!" Greg screamed; covering his face with his arms.

Amethyst chuckled as she patted the beast on its snout. "Devin is my dragon, Greg, and he totally saved us from Peridot,"

"But you can't keep him," Pearl said with her hands on her hips. "We need to destroy him in order to complete the boss level…"

Greg watched the purple gem pout; he hesitated. "Wh-what if I take the dragon's gem and make it into a system like I did with Rose and Steven," Amethyst and the others looked up. "You just have to poof him, then you'll win the boss level, and I can use his gem to recreate him,"

"Yeah!" Amethyst cheered. "Let's do that,"

Pearl hummed as she considered. "He will come in handy during future missions,"

"I bet he would," Greg grinned. "Now just get his gem and hand it to me so I can get started,"

Amethyst agreed. She walked over, apologizing to Devin, and got a good grip on the purple gem in his forehead. The purple girl pulled until the item was extracted fully; purple dust clouding their eyes as the beast was destroyed. They didn't notice Lapis falling not so gracefully onto the ground below her; Amethyst's whips fading away from the hold on her.

The words ' _Level 11 Complete'_  hung above their heads.

She handed Greg the gem carefully.

"You Crystal Gems really are stupid,"

They all looked up to see Peridot flying down with her fingers. Everyone pulled out their weapons and got down into a fighting stance while Greg inched closer to his van.

"Don't even think about it tubby," Peridot caught his movements as she settled onto the ground.

Pearl smirked. "You're the idiot; it's four against one and you're crazy if you think you can take all of us!"

"No; by getting rid of the dragon, your only chance against my marbles, you've doomed yourselves," Peridot took off her sash that was wrapped around her waist. "Now watch,"

The green gem plucked a single tiny light green ball from her sash and tossed it onto the ground. It stopped just a few feet away from the Crystal Gems. After a quiet second it began to grow into a full sized marble creature just like the others.

"So," Amethyst held her whips tighter. "It's just one—"

Peridot smirked; throwing all thirty of her small balls onto the ground. A sinister crackling laugh erupted from her as they all grew in size; circling the opposing gems menacingly.

"What do you want?" Pearl asked; moving closer to her friends as the marbles approached her.

"I want Rose's gem," The green gem said obviously. "I know you losers have it and I demand its powers so—"

A loud scream was heard from behind Peridot. She turned around to see Lapis trying to jump at her; she smirked. Holding one hand out and stopping her mid air with her gem power.

Lapis struggled in the hold. "Let my friends go!"

"Aw Lapis," Peridot changed her direction and floated her above the Crystal Gems. "It's too late to be switching sides but I'll allow it; go ahead and die with your loser friends," She dropped the waterbender.

Lapis landed in the middle of them with a grunt. She groaned in pain when her wounds were once again opened; Ruby had shocked the hell out of her.

"Now what," Lapis heard Pearl say fearfully.

Greg clenched his hands and whispered to them. "Connie and Steven are far away from here and I don't know when they'll be back…I honestly hope they don't come back,"

"Yeah," The purple gem nodded. "At least they're safe for now—"

Lars gasped. "There is still hope,"

Everyone looked at him demanding answers.

"Sapphire,"

* * *

Sapphire watched from a distance as the large marble creatures surrounded her friends. She knew that she couldn't take them on by herself and that the kids would soon be coming back. The only way they would even stand a chance was if Ruby were here.

She clenched her fists.

That was the only way but she had no idea where the other girl was. Even if she did Ruby surely made it clear that she didn't wish to speak with her. Sapphire couldn't blame her; after everything she did and all the things she's kept from her.

"I probably don't even have a girlfriend anymore," Sapphire said softly to herself.

A cold breeze surrounded her and she looked down to see ice expanding below her feet. It wasn't a surprise to her; Lars had explained many times how some gems have elemental abilities (such as Lars himself). She just never expected to have any.

"Come Sapphire," The blue gem shook her hands out and dissolved the ice. "You know where Ruby is; you're the only person who knows her as well as you do,"

Her light blue eyes came to a close as she skimmed her mind with future possibilities of finding Ruby. Many of them led her to dead ends but one of them led to Ruby.

Sapphire silently called to her menu bar and quickly teleported to her chosen destination.

* * *

She found Ruby sitting at the top steps in the destroyed battle dome. After discovering the ability to die in the game many players gave up on friendly battling; finding it far too dangerous. Therefore the battle dome was now a vacant arena compared to its former glory.

Sapphire stood in front of Ruby.

"Why are you here," The red gem said without looking at her. "How'd you even know where I was?"

The blue gem felt a bitter smile rise to her face. "This was the first place we unofficially met…"

After a tense silence the red gem spoke. "I'm not going back."

Sapphire frowned. "Well we have to; Peridot is back and she has everyone surrounded,"

"Who cares," Ruby's muffled voice called to her.

The red gem sounded so…Defeated. Sapphire had never known her to give up on anything.

"So we're just going to leave our friends to die?" Sapphire felt her temper rising.

"…Shut up,"

Sapphire clenched her fists. "Just let Rose's death be in vain."

"Shut up,"

Sapphire glared down at her. "Let's give up when we've come so far!"

"I said shut up!" Ruby hollered; tears falling down her face. "Shut up, shut up…" She gripped her hair tightly. "I-I can't do this—"

Sapphire's heart broke as she leaned down so her knees were touching Ruby's. "I know you can't," She placed both of her girlfriend's hands into hers. "But together we can,"

"…I'm sorry—" Ruby tried.

"No," Sapphire hushed her. "I should have told you; we promised not to keep secrets and I broke that…But I won't do it again," She smiled weakly. "I don't mind being in this game as long as you are with me,"

Ruby nodded; sniffing away the snot in her nose. "Me too…But believe me when I say this Sapph; we will get out of here,"

"Together," Sapphire whispered as their heads leaned against each other with their eyes closed; enjoying just being in each other's presence.

In their bliss they didn't notice a white light engulfing them.


	14. Garnet

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 14: Garnet**

They were all backed together as the marble creatures surrounded them. Peridot was laughing menacingly as she watched them squirm and shake. They had long given up hope on having Sapphire coming to their rescue and the slim possibility of having Steven and Connie return.

"I can't believe it's going to end like this," Amethyst whimpered; moving closer to her friends as the marbles advanced.

Pearl hung her head low. "We've failed Rose and now we're going to fail Steven without even meeting him…We're weak," She held back a sob. "How did we even think we could actually make it without her?" The skinny girl bit her lip. "…What would she think of us now,"

"…" Greg opened and shut his mouth. "I don't know bu—"

He was cut off when one of the marbles approaching them exploded. They all cringed back and covered their faces; mint green colored ooze covering them in a sticky coat.

"What the hell?" Peridot gaped; watching a tall figure stand from the explosion. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The Crystal Gems watched the masked warrior jump into the air. A bright pink glow surrounded her hands as two iron fists were summoned. The afro haired gem jumped back down to earth and smashed her right fist into another marble.

"Whoa," Amethyst gasped; watching the new gem crush other marbles in her way.

She was strong, destroying the marbles with a single hit. She was fast, gracefully avoiding their acid spits as she flipped into the air. She was calm and yet she was fierce.

"Who is that?" Pearl wondered as the tall gem crushed the final marble. "I've never seen her around before…"

Greg grinned. "Who cares? She's saving us and that's all that matters,"

When the last marble was gone the strange new gem stood taller. She jumped over to Peridot who shrunk back in fear. A large, gloved, hand grabbed the green gem by her shirt collar. Peridot tried to pull herself out of the tight grip; dangling her feet in a means of escape.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Peridot screamed. "This is between me and those clods—"

_"What are we going to do with her?" A voice whispered out in the darkness._

_"If we let her go she'll just come back," Ruby crossed her arms in thought._

_"Then we'll cross that road when we get there." Sapphire said in the darkness; she watched a glowing Ruby nod her head._

She adjusted her shades with a free hand, scowling. "Those  _clods_ are my  _friends,_  and I don't appreciate you holding them hostage like that. So I'm going to give you two options; leave and never bother us or you join us,"

"Join you?" Peridot scoffed. "You killed Jasper—"

_Ruby growled._

"And you killed Rose," The voice was calm and laced with anger.

Peridot bit her lip and looked at the others who were watching, shocked. Without Jasper in the picture she didn't stand a chance but if she joined them it was like she'd be betraying everything she stood for. But then again; to be alone in this game as a solo player was like preparing for death. And she didn't have any other friends in this game besides Centi; but he was just a child.

If she were to be alone she'd surely die.

"…You'd let me join; just like that?"

The tall gem shrugged. "We're going to need all the help we can get. I mean; we let Lapis join us and although she betrayed us I can tell that she has chosen the right side in the end," She had seen Lapis in the huddle with the other gems. "She did try to save them, right?"

Peridot nodded. "She attempted to. But what if I tried to plan something to overpower you all again; how can you trust me like that? After everything I've done,"

"I know you won't betray us," She adjusted her shades; checking the future again to make sure. "I've seen it; once you meet Steven you'll never think of doing anything bad," She smiled. "He has that affect on people,"

The green gem frowned. "Who's Steven?"

"You'll know soon," She placed the gem back onto the ground; releasing her. "I also know that you want to get out of this game just like we do; if you join us we can do that," She held out her hand. "Truce,"

Peridot stretched out her hand hesitantly. "…Can Centi join? He's just a kid and I don't want him to be left alone,"

"…Of course; but can you handle him when he finds out about Jasper?"

Peridot nodded. "I'll talk to him,"

With another glance they shook hands curtly and parted ways. Peridot teleported away and the tall gem walked towards her family.

"You were awesome!" Amethyst was the first to break the silence; jumping in front of the tall gem. "You just destroyed thirty of those marbles in like; five seconds,"

Pearl pulled her friend away. "Give her some space, Amethyst," She smiled up at the gem before her. "But thank you—?"

"Garnet," She adjusted her shades; ignoring Ruby's objections inside her head.

_Ruby crossed her arms. "That's a stupid name,"_

_"I like it," Sapphire smiled._

Greg nodded. "Well thanks so much,"

A bright light shinned around them suddenly as a portal was revealed. Lion jumped out of it with Steven and Connie riding on his back.

"Hey guys!" Steven cheered; jumping down from the beast as he helped Connie as well. "The arcade was awesome dad," He ran over and hugged his father at the leg.

Greg smiled; resting his hand in his son's curls. "Guy's this is Steven,"

Pearl gasped; her hands covering her mouth. "…He looks just like—"

"Hey guy," Amethyst interrupted her friend; giving the child a fist pound. "I'm—"

Steven smiled. "Amethyst, I already know; I still have my mother's memories," He frowned; looking at Garnet. "…But I've never seen  _you_ before! Whoa you're so tall!" He clung to Garnet's leg.

"Easy kiddo," Greg tried to pry his son off the woman. "She is Garnet and she's just here to help. Sorry about that," He sheepishly smiled at the intimidating gem.

Garnet ignored Greg's apology and grabbed Steven. She smiled at him as he played with her shades.

"Nice to meet you Steven,"

He grinned. "Are you going to stay with us?"

Connie looked around the battle field. "Where's mommy and mama?"

Garnet froze.

"Oh yeah; Sapphire left to find Ruby but she never came back," Pearl frowned. "Where can they be?"

Lars crossed his arms. "Ruby seemed pretty upset; I hope she didn't do anything rash,"

"We have to find them!" Connie begged.

Garnet placed Steven back onto the ground; she looked at the child. "Calm down—"

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" The child shot back angrily. "Last time I checked you weren't a part of our family so this has nothing to do with you,"

_"She's freaking out," Ruby bit her lip. "We have to unfuse and let her know that we're okay,"_

_Sapphire nodded. "But how do we do that?"_

_"No idea," Ruby looked around in the darkness for some kind of exit._

Ruby took over. "Let me explain, squirt—"

Connie glared at Garnet. "Don't you dare call me that! You're not my mother,"

Something struck at Garnet. Her memories, or Ruby and Sapphire's, started pouring through her mind rapidly. All of them included Connie; how they found her, took her in and became their parents. Garnet soon realized that she was not the child's mother and that these memories meant nothing to her.

She wasn't the one who cooked dinner for Connie. She didn't hug her when her false tears were falling down her face. Garnet had no right to call her squirt or comfort her like the way her true parents did.

Her memories weren't even her own. So who was she?

"What am I…?" Garnet gripped her head tightly as she fell to her knees. "What the hell am I!" She shouted; a bright light consuming her as she fell apart.

They all stepped back as the stoic gem burst into two pieces. Ruby and Sapphire were forced out of the fusion. The eruption caused Ruby to smash into the van door and Sapphire to roll on the dirt covered floor.

Greg held his hands up and stepped away from the scenes. "Too much magic stuff going on here," He whispered to himself as he distanced from the group.

"…" Steven gaped; he looked to Ruby before running to Sapphire. "A-are you okay? What was that?"

Connie followed Steven's lead and ran to the red gem. "Mommy are you okay?" She nudged the distraught gem.

Amethyst looked between the both. "Okay; what the hell was that!"

"Fusion," They all looked to see Sapphire speak as Steven helped her to her feet. "It's called fusion,"

Ruby leaned on Connie's shoulder. "It's when two gems come together as one. Their skills become joined and because of that it becomes enhanced," Ruby continued. "That's how we were—I mean; that's how Garnet was able to destroy Peridot's marbles,"

"Yes," Sapphire nodded as she drew closer to her beloved. "She was cool wasn't she?" She glanced down at Steven.

Stars were in his eyes. "She was amazing! Can I see her again, please?" He begged.

"Slow down kid," Ruby chuckled. "We have to learn how to control her first."

Amethyst held her hands up. "Wait a darn minute; can someone explain what the hell is going on?"

"Yes please," Pearl rubbed her head. "What is fusion?"

Ruby frowned. "We just told you i—" A hand was placed on her shoulder. "…"

"They don't understand it like we do yet, sweetheart," Sapphire told her. "But then again we barely understand it either."

"I think I do!"

Everyone turned around to see Steven smiling.

Sapphire gaped; but then smiled as well. "Okay Steven; explain it to us,"

"Right," Steven scratched his chin. "I recall my mother telling you and Ruby that together you are strong. Maybe somehow she predicted fusion and knew that you two would be the ones to create it,"

Pearl huffed, losing her patience. "But what is fusion, Steven?"

"Well in a literary sense; fusion is the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity," He smiled. "That is what Garnet was; she was created from you two but I don't know what she was made of. That is only something you two can figure out; and when you do you will be able to control her better than before," He hummed. "You may even be able to stay like that for a long time,"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I get it now," She looked to Sapphire. "When you found me we each put our trust in each other and got rid of all our secretes. That must have triggered it,"

"If we can find out how to do it again," Sapphire grinned. "Then we can form Garnet again!"

Ruby smiled. "Yeah!"

Everyone watched the two smile and laugh with each other. Connie remained silent; watching her parents talk about what should be impossible.

She didn't know how to feel about Garnet.

"So fusion," Pearl tried again. "Is the merging of two gems where they become stronger than they ever could; if anyone else found out about this they could use that power for something bad,"

Ruby and Sapphire stopped their reunion when she spoke. They looked away angrily; just the thought of someone using something as beautiful as fusion to cause harm to others made them sick to their stomachs.

"Well we're the only ones who know about it," Ruby smiled. "Call me selfish but I want to keep this to myself; but once Sapphire and I go into it deeper we can teach you guys,"

Amethyst grinned. "What do you say Pearl; want to fuse with me?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh please," Pearl scoffed; not being able to hide her blush.

"You know you want to!"

Ruby smiled, it was good to see that things were back to normal; at least for now. But when they found out that Peridot will be joining them all hell will break loose. And as for Lapis.

Ruby looked at the waterbender as she watched the two argue. Lapis was in the worse shape of them all. She was still lying on the floor from when Peridot tossed her and she was still slightly having aftershocks from when Ruby blasted her. But her gem was still intact so that was good.

Sapphire nodded when Ruby looked at her. After forming Garnet it had become easier to tell what the other was thinking. They might as well be one now; after all the memories she had gotten about Sapphire's childhood and the other way around. And the funny thing was—Ruby wasn't trying to hide her past anymore because Sapphire embraced her; all of her.

Even her faults.

"Hey,"

Lapis looked up to see Ruby kneeling down next to her; she hid her face. "…I'm sorry. I know I helped Jasper and I k—"

"I forgive you." Ruby interrupted her; pulling out a yellow crystal from her menu bar.

Blue eyes went wide. "What? B-but what about all the things I've done…" Tears fell down her face as she sobbed.

"I'm not going to lie; Lapis, I still hate everything that you've done," Lapis looked away in shame. "But I don't hate you; you're a good person and I know that Jasper still had some kind of control on your life even though I didn't wish to believe it. But you have to believe me when I say this; you have friends who care about you," Ruby smiled; crushing the yellow shard in her hand.

The yellow sparks surrounded Lapis and got rid of her paralysis. Ruby pulled Lapis to her feet; an arm was wrapped around her broad shoulder.

"I'm sorry for being so hard on you," Ruby spoke as they slowly walked to their friends. "…But if I can forgive Peridot then I can defiantly forgive you,"

Lapis gaped. "You forgave her? But…how can you do this all so easily? We are traitors,"

"True," Ruby deadpanned. "But a wise leader once told me to forgive those who have harmed you before hatred consumes you. And besides," Ruby sent her a grin. "We're going to need all the help we can get if we ever want to get out of this game, right?"

Lapis felt herself smiling back. "Right,"

Ruby looked away from her and faced her friends. She felt Sapphire stand by her right side; followed by Connie who crawled in between them.

"Okay guys," Ruby smiled. "Let's all go home!"

* * *

Peridot landed inside the hallow headquarter that once belonged to Jasper. It suddenly felt empty to her as she gathered all of her supplies; placing them into her menu storage center. She decided to leave Jasper's things where they lay.

That was all behind her now.

"Peri?"

She turned around to see Centi walking out from his room. He was in his night cloths; his green hair was a mess so she knew he had just woken up.

"Hey brat," Peridot finished gathering her things. "Why are you up so early?"

He stood in front of her. "I was waiting for Jasper," He looked passed her legs as if the larger man would be there. "Where is he?"

Peridot bit her lip. "Gather your things, brat, we're going to live somewhere else for a while,"

* * *

"We're not letting her stay here!" Amethyst shouted. "Peridot was just about to kill all of us for Rose's gem; what if she is still after it,"

Steven frowned. "But I have it now," He looked at the purple gem. "And if she wants my mother's gem then she will have to go through me, lion and Connie," He counted off on his fingers.

Connie nodded. "Yeah; it's not like she's powerful enough to take us all on and she doesn't have Jasper protecting her."

"So it's either she becomes a solo player or join us," Lars said. "And I guess she'd rather join her foes than die in here,"

They were all sitting in the council room in Rose's room. Steven was nice enough to open it for all of them. They were all seated at a long round table as they discussed their new living arrangements.

"I still don't trust her," Amethyst said after a long silence.

"You don't have to trust her," Sapphire spoke calmly from beside Ruby. "We just need to know that we just lost Rose and although Steven is with us he has little control of his powers; I haven't even seen him conjure one of her weapons yet,"

Steven looked away.

"It will take him a while to get the hang of it," Sapphire continued. "So in the meantime we are going to need all the help we can get; and Peridot is very skilled in weapons and those marbles creatures look like they'll come in handy,"

Ruby spoke. "And if they toss that deathly acid at us then we'll just have to get Devin on them won't we," She smiled at Amethyst. "Greg said that he'll be ready for you tomorrow,"

"You're actually letting me keep him!" Amethyst smiled. "Thank you Ruby!"

Sapphire frowned. "But he has to stay outside." She watched the purple gem nod rapidly. "Okay; onto our next motion, fusion,"

Ruby took the lead. "Sapphire and I will try to practice it tomorrow in the training room but it will have to be a private practice; no one is to tell Peridot of our discovery,"

They all nodded in agreement.

"I trust Lapis to keep our secret though," Ruby look across the table to the water gem. "I can trust you right?"

Lapis nodded. "Yes, you can,"

"But she thinks Garnet is her own person," Sadie pointed out. "Won't Peridot be suspicious when Garnet isn't here?"

Steven smiled. "Which is a better reason for them to get practicing right away; but in the meantime we should just say that Garnet is always in and out of the temple. Alright?"

Everyone murmured their agreement.

"Our last motion," Lars said from the end of the table. "Who is going to be in charge of us now?"

Pearl frowned. "I would say Steven because he still has his mother's memories but he hasn't controlled her power yet." She bit her lip.

"Oh I know who's in charge, that's easy," Steven smiled; looking to Ruby and Sapphire. "Garnet should be the leader; which means you two," He laughed.

Amethyst grinned. "Yeah; she totally kicked Peridot's butt and showed some awesome leadership,"

"I agree," Pearl couldn't argue. "So you two better hurry up and master this fusion thing so Garnet can come back and teach us all how to do it," She smiled.

Sapphire sighed. "It's going to take some time—"

"I get it," Amethyst challenged. "You probably can't even master it."

Ruby smirked; a fire in her eyes. "That's what you think! We're going to master this and then we'll show you all how to do it; then when we face the creator of this game we will beat them and we'll all return home," She smiled. "That's a promise,"

Sapphire looked around at all the smiles on everyone's faces as she herself smiled at her lovers words.

"Alright then," Sapphire grinned. "Motion carried,"

* * *

Peridot stood nervously as all eyes stared at her. Centi clung to her leg desperately as the eyes poured into them.

"Welcome," Steven was the one to step forward and greet their new friends. "I'm Steven and this is Connie; we can show you to your new room,"

Connie nodded with a soft smile. "You're Centi right?"

"How'd you know my name?" He asked softly; still clutching to Peridot's leg.

"I've been watching you," Connie smiled at his awed expression. "I am the one who watches over all the players to make sure they are emotionally stable," She held her hand out. "Don't worry; I just want take you to your old room,"

Centi took her hand. "Okay, are my toys still in there?"

"Yeah," Steven told him. "I have some new ones that you can play with too," They walked through the main door; the green gem glowing brightly.

"Your old room should still be useable as well," Pearl alerted her. "I'll show you to it."

Peridot nodded as she looked around the temple living room. "Where is that taller gem at? The one with the big hair who I was talking to earlier,"

"Oh, Garnet," Pearl looked back at the green gem. "She's barely here,"

Amethyst nodded from the kitchen. "Yeah, she's always doing her own thing."

"Too bad," Peridot sighed. "I wanted to speak with her,"

Pearl smiled politely. "She'll be back soon."

* * *

Ruby looked through the window as Pearl led Peridot to her old room. She could faintly hear the green gem ask about Garnet. True to their words; everyone lied about her being off somewhere.

Ruby sighed. "She asked about Garnet,"

"An even better reason for us to get started," Sapphire grabbed her arm and pulled her beloved down the steps. "We have to form Garnet so Peridot won't get suspicious and so we can use her during our boss battles." She bit her lip. "But—"

"I know," Ruby smiled; leaning in closer to her girlfriend. "I felt it when we fused; you want to form Garnet just so we can be close like that again," She saw Sapphire blush yet the girl still nodded. "…I feel the same way; now that we're unfused again I feel far from you even though you're right next to me."

Ruby clasped her hand over her heart. "It's like something is missing in my heart and whatever it is completes me,"

"It was a wonderful feeling, being Garnet," Sapphire said as they stopped walking when they reached the beach. "It's like we have no secretes and the things I've learned about you. You're parents and their Christen values, how they don't except you…And your school life; the way you and your friends stick together no matter how many people have given up on you,"

Ruby leaned her forehead against her beloved. "And how hard it was for you and your family to accept your disability and how it destroyed your relationship with your brother. How they treat you like a fragile little child when all you want is for them to be honest with you but they avoid it all…" She smiled. "I never thought I'd actually meet someone who understands me and has faced similar problems that I have,"

Sapphire nodded. "Can you believe that we didn't get along the first time we met?" She laughed at the memory. "When I first got here Lars treated me like a lost child and I was used to it, because of my parents; treating me like I'd break at any moment." She smiled. "But then I met you; the first thing you said was, watch where the hell you're going,"

Ruby blushed. "Sorry about that,"

"No," Sapphire giggled. "It was just what I needed. For someone to treat me like a real person for once; thank you,"

"I should be thanking you," Ruby mumbled into blue locks. "For never giving up on me even when I gave up on you guys; I'm sorry for that,"

"Silly girl," Sapphire kissed her on the forehead. "You'll always have me, and ours friends, to snap you out of it. I expect you to do the same with me,"

Ruby nodded. "Of course,"

"Good," Sapphire smiled. "Now; let's get started on forming Garnet again, a lot of people are depending on her,"

Ruby smirked.


	15. Dancing and Madness

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 15: Dancing and Madness**

The short red gem let out a frustrated groan as she fell onto her back in defeat. "This is crazy; how did we fuse last time?"

"I don't know," Sapphire confessed as she sat down beside her beloved on the concrete floor. "I think our best bet is to remember how we were each feeling the moment it happened. Like maybe that's the trigger,"

Ruby nodded; slowly sitting up to face the girl across from her. They were each sitting Indian style in the fighting arena late in the afternoon. They were each excited about trying to form Garnet again so they originally planned on practicing early in the morning but being the leaders of the team; they had a lot of work to do.

Having tactic meetings with Pearl, boss level sightseeing with Greg and just making sure Peridot was under control (and not plotting against them). They had so much to do and such little time to do it; they had no idea how Rose handled all this pressure.

But they did know that Garnet could handle it with no problem. The thought of her allowed them to fight through the long meetings and responsibilities.

They knew how many people were depending on the fusion so their time was fleeting.

"Well—I was angry," Ruby spoke randomly. "But then when I saw you it kind of disappeared and I was happy again; I had hope,"

Sapphire smiled. "Me too, so maybe the trigger is happiness?"

"But that still doesn't change anything," Ruby said softly; glaring at her hands in her lap. "Garnet fell apart within minutes because she had no idea who or what she was. It's just like Steven had said—once we find out what she is then we can stay fused longer," She looked up at her girlfriend. "Once we figure it out we can move from there."

Sapphire nodded. "I understand; let's see then, she's sort of like the two of us combined?" She tried.

"But it's more than that; she had all of our memories," Ruby scratched her head; sighing loudly. "I don't know maybe we're trying too hard,"

Sapphire stood up briefly. "Then let's go out and just relax; I feel like this shouldn't be something we have to force," She helped her girlfriend to her feet with a soft smile. "Arcade?"

"You know me well," Ruby grinned.

* * *

Lapis sat on the couch; entertaining a hyper active eight year old. Centi was sitting on her lap showing the waterbender the new toys that Steven and Connie had equipped him with. At first he was restless, sleeping in a strange place, but the gems really made him feel at home.

"This is Panpour and he's a water type," Centi cheered; holding up the blue action figure high. "…you can play with him if you want," A soft blush coated the child's cheek.

Lapis giggled. "No thanks; the new Pokémon generation really blows," She said nonchalantly.

"No it doesn't!" The boy argued. "These are cooler."

The older girl leaned back, a soft smile on her face as she reminisced. "No, the first generation was way cooler. We had Ash, I know you have him too but back in the original series he wasn't as experienced and didn't really know what he was doing,"

"…isn't that bad?" He asked curiously.

"Not at all," Lapis grinned. "With his friends he became stronger and met new Pokémon along the way; I know you have a, Panpour, but back then Blastoise was the best water type to have,"

Centi gasped; his chubby hands flattening on her thighs. "You know about Blastoise? That's so cool; I have the mega evolved Blastoise," He grinned; revealing a missing tooth.

"Yeah…wait, what?" Lapis gaped. "There's a mega evolved Blastoise!"

The child giggled. "I know, right!"

Loud crackles of laughter were heard from the living room as Peridot jogged inside from the front door. She was out of breath, probably from running, and her clothes and hair were sticking out frantically. The green gem gasped when she saw the two on the couch.

"There you are, Centi," Peridot huffed; lazily falling to her knees on the carpet. "I was looking all over for you; I thought we were supposed to be building sand castles'."

The green boy smiled shyly as he finally stopped laughing. "S-sorry sis, but I was—"

"I," Lapis stopped him. "I—I was holding him up, I'm sorry, I didn't know you two had plans," She offered Peridot an apologetic smile.

Peridot turned away from her gaze. "…whatever; let's just go now Centi, before I change my mind," She stood up and expected him to follow.

"A-actually," He twiddled with his fingers abashedly. "Can Lapis come with us too?" Centi looked at the waterbender with hopeful eyes.

Lapis glanced at the green girl; she didn't want to intrude. "Is that okay with you, Peridot?"

The green gem huffed angrily. "Why don't you two just go without me then," She walked to the large temple door; her gem shining brightly as it was opened.

"You don't have to leave," Centi begged his older sister. "You can play with us too, Peri!"

The green girl scoffed, not looking back at them as she walked into her room. "Don't call me that brat," Her door shut closed with that final rude remark.

Lapis gaped, staring at the door, then growled. "What is her problem?" She couldn't help but voice her anger. "She's acting like such a—"

"It's not her fault," The child stopped her rant; she looked down at him. "Our home life isn't very…good, and this game was the only thing that helped us forget just how bad things were. Now we're trapped in here,"

Lapis was still heated. "So is everyone else, Centi! But you don't see us mopping around like an oversized child," Her hands were clenched at her side.

"She's also lost the love of her life; who, might I add, didn't love her back," Centi whispered; staring at his toy. "I know you guys lost Rose but—Jasper wasn't all bad; he was kind of like a cool older brother to me. When he wasn't on the fields he was home; reading me a bedtime story," He smiled bitter sweetly. "Peridot has been in love with him for years, even after the many times Jasper rejected her,"

Lapis listened intently; feeling her anger slowly drain away. "She stuck by him until the end; somewhere along the way I think she caught his madness because she wasn't always like this. Jasper created this; I should have stopped it but I saw how happy she was living the life of a rogue gem," He looked at her confidently. "Believe me when I say this; she will get better, I just know she will,"

"I can see it; when she tries to rekindle our relationship, when she stays up late looking for boss levels and when she cries herself to sleep when she thinks I'm not awake," Centi grinded his teeth. "…sending a quiet prayer to those who have died fighting with her and now by joining the Crystal Gems; this shows she wants a better life on the other side when this is over,"

Centi grinned. "So if she ever acts like a jerk just remember what I told you; that's how I get through her fits," He jumped off her lap and walked to the table where his other toys were. "Now—I don't feel like going to the beach so we can just stay in here while you tell me about that first generation,"

Lapis smiled softly. "Yeah okay," She kneeled down beside him on the floor. "It all started when Ash turned ten years old,"

* * *

Ruby crossed her arms as her girlfriend giggled at her side. "It's not funny Sapphire; I don't know how but you cheated on all those games,"

"I think I'm just better than you dear," She grinned; wrapping her arms inside of a muscled left arm. "But—I may have had a few visions guiding my way…"

Ruby laughed accusingly; as if she had finally figured it out. "I knew it!"

They were just leaving from the arcade. After thirty minutes of losing to her girly girlfriend, the red gem had angrily begged for them to do something else. Now they were aimlessly walking on the board walk; watching the sun begin to set and players retire to their homes.

"Wait," Ruby glanced at her; digging her hands into her black fighting pants. "I thought your visions blind you for a while and leave you vulnerable,"

Sapphire came to an abrupt stop when they reached the rail. "Not anymore—I think when we formed Garnet, you sort of took some of the weight off so I can see easier," A soft blush was on her face.

Ruby, grinning, leaned her forearms on the rail. "She's really something, isn't she?" The red gem looked up at the stars. "Garnet I mean. It's like she brings out our greatest attributes and makes them into something greater," She chuckled and aimed her gaze to the sand below them. "I'm not really sure how to explain it, and I don't know if this is helping, but when we fuse it's like we're one person; moving together in perfect unison,"

"…like a dance,"

Ruby hummed; looking to the girl beside her. "What was that Sapph?"

"Ruby," Sapphire grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in close; looking at her intensely. "Dance with me!"

Red face; the younger girl gaped. "D-dance with you?" She looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "What? Now? I-I don't dance Sapphire—"

"Of course you dance," Sapphire scoffed at the lie. "I saw the flashback when you were on the urban dance team in middle school."

Ruby forced her arms away from Sapphire's grasp. "That was a long time ago…" She tried to cool down. "Why do you want to—"

She grabbed her hands again. "Please…just trust me on this,"

"…" Ruby finally nodded after a tense silence. "Alright, I'll trust you," She was a little weary at first but the bright smile on Sapphire's face was worth it.

"Okay uhm," Sapphire looked around with her lip caught between her teeth. "Let's go somewhere private…"

Ruby allowed herself to be dragged down to the isolated side of the beach; full heartedly putting her trust into the woman who led her.

* * *

Soft snores echoed in the living room as Lapis ran her finger through soft green hair. Centi was sleeping with his head in her lap on the couch; after tiredly singing the original Pokémon theme song to him Lapis was glad when he was finally asleep. He was a sweet kid but after singing for twenty minutes straight he was starting to get on her nerves.

But now, seeing him resting so peacefully; Lapis silently chastised herself for almost snapping at him moments ago.

"Centi—" Peridot shut her mouth when she saw the scene; slowly stepping out of her room to stand beside the pair on the couch. "…he's sleep already?" She sounded slightly shocked and impressed. "But it's only seven; he usually begs me to stay up for another hour,"

Her green eyes narrowed at Lapis. "Did you drug my little brother?"

"What?" Lapis literally shouted.

The child mumbled in his sleep. Lapis and Peridot held their breath; watching his eyes twitch before he flipped on his right side with his back facing them. When his soft snores continued the girl's let out the air they had been holding in.

"I tired him out on the old Pokémon theme song," Lapis continued to tease his hair. "Now it's stuck inside my brain," She huffed; mentally hearing the beat bounce around inside her head.

Peridot relaxed visibly. "…thanks I guess," She looked at her peaceful brother. "I'm not the one who usually puts him to bed so it's been difficult,"

"I had no idea he was even your brother," Lapis said out of the blue. "After spending all that time with you and Jasper you never mentioned it."

Peridot seemed unfazed. "He's my step brother actually; we both live in a foster home but I'll be turning seventeen soon and when I do I'm taking him with me,"

Lapis gaped; she didn't know what to say but her mouth did. "Are…are you sure you want to do that?" The words came out before she could stop them.

The other girl scoffed. "Of course; that place is crap and I want better for us," She crossed her arms and glared at the floor. "I'm used to living in places like that but not him; he deserves better and I'm going to be the one to give it to him,"

"That…" Lapis huffed. "That's just dumb Peridot! You're just a kid yourself and you think you can actually take care of him? I mean—you act like it's a burden to be with him now as it is," She tried to remember what Centi had told her, she really did, but the words just kept coming.

Lapis kept going; not aware of how Peridot was clenching her fists. "I think what's best for you is to stay there until you graduate and then come back for him when you've made something of you—"

"What the hell do you know about what is best for me?" Peridot interrupted her viciously. "You have no clue how terrible it is at those places; if I leave him alone now he might not be there when I get back!" She snatched her brother from Lapis's lap; holding the sleeping child on her hip. "So don't you dare pretend like you know what is best for  _my_ brother, you hear me?"

Peridot stalked away; heading straight for her room. "So mind your damn business and stop talking about things you know little about," Her door slammed shut behind her; shaking the walls.

The waterbender gaped, closed her mouth, and then set her lips into a tight line. She knew she was wrong, she truly did. But the words just kept coming and no matter how many times she tried to deny it; she knew she deserved it.

Lapis knew that she had no right to talk about Peridot like she actually knows her situation; making a decision about Centi when he is in no way none of her business. Peridot and her life and her little brother was none of her concern, yet, she had a fleeting feeling to make it her concern.

Strangely enough she found herself wanting to be a part of it.

Lapis covered her lap, which now felt strikingly cold, with her shaking hands. Her cheeks stung as if every word Peridot had said was a slap to the face; putting her in her place. Yet instead of being angry Lapis found herself smiling; who knew, maybe Peridot had pulled her into her madness.

But even if she had, Lapis knew these feelings had to be real. They were real and she wanted to explore them; discover why every one of Peridot's insults had sent a sweet chill up her spin. Why whenever Peridot scowled at her Lapis found herself licking her lips; edging the girl on.

Maybe she truly was insane.

Lapis chuckled in the silent darkness. "Damn, I'm such an idiot,"

And she could accept that.

* * *

"This is stupid, Sapph," Ruby groaned as she stepped on another toe.

Sapphire sighed, seeming to be losing her cool. "No it's not—you're just not trying," She crossed her arms; ignoring the throbbing pain from her abused toe.

"I am!" Ruby growled; running a hand through her sweaty curls. "I just…I don't dance like that and you know it," She turned to face her fully on the beach. "I know you may be on to something with this dancing thing but I'm not comfortable…ballroom dancing," She got out with some trouble.

Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Well that's how I dance,"

"I get that but," Ruby sighed; looking at her with pleading eyes. "Understand, when people dance they have to be in total unison but who says we have to dance to the same music?" Sapphire frowned, clearly confused. "I mean—isn't this whole fusion thing about us reinventing ourselves together?"

Sapphire nodded; still trying to wrap her head around it.

"So why can't I dance how I dance and you dance how you dance; we just have to be in—" Ruby trailed off with a groan; eyes closed as she shoved her hand out. "Just dance with me already; don't treat this like it's a manual, just have fun with it," She got out with a frustrated sigh for not being able to express herself.

Sapphire took her outstretched hand happily. Red eyes met with blue; large grins falling on both their faces all too easily.

Both gems backed away from each other to do their own personal dance moves; Sapphire leaping into the air gracefully and Ruby landing perfect back-flips into the sand. Their rambunctious laughter was only heard by their own ears as they each lost themselves in their unique dance.

It wasn't until Ruby finished a front-flip, landing by kneeling on the sand, did she see Sapphire finish a fluent mid air twirl. Her arms were immediately open when Sapphire collided into her. But instead of stopping there Sapphire grabbed the back of her girlfriend's neck while Ruby held her by the waist.

She twirled the older girl around her stomach before gently bringing her back around and dipping her. They continued to laugh and giggled even as a bright light blinded them blissfully.

* * *

Garnet opened her eyes hesitantly. She was happy that the pair had found a way to fuse properly but it was hopeless if they didn't have everything figure out. They had better give her an explanation before they are forced apart again.

_"Ruby, I think I finally understand," Sapphire's voice called out in the darkness._

_The red gem's voice traveled back to her; sounding far away. "Me too; the way to fusion is dancing!"_

_"What? No," Sapphire groaned; trying to calm down. "Dancing is one of the ways but it's not just a dance for you and I; it is our joy, fury, patience and our love," Her voice grew closer. "Garnet represents our love for not only us but the love we share for Connie, our friends—everything we care about!"_

Garnet chuckled, phasing her shades onto her face effortlessly. "So that's who I am,"

_The darkness inside suddenly turned into light; a bright blinding white light. Ruby and Sapphire glowed in the light; Ruby glowing red and Sapphire glowing blue._

_"Ruby!" Sapphire ran to her; wrapping her arms around her neck as she was spun around._

_The red gem grinned. "I get it now," Ruby stopped spinning her but held on tight. "This is an amazing feeling—I kind of don't want it to end," She confessed; not even feeling embarrassed._

_"…let's stay like this," Sapphire said, not looking away from red eyes. "My visions are better, everyone is expecting Garnet to be a leader and I like being this close to you," She bit her lip. "When we're not fused I feel like you're too far away even when you're right beside me,"_

_Ruby rested her forehead on top of her lovers. "I feel the same way; and it will be easier fighting together," She frowned softly. "But—but we have to talk to Connie about this first before we decide anything. She was already acting strange when she first met Garnet,"_

_"I suppose," Sapphire bit her lip; not wanting to split just yet._

_Ruby chuckled. "We'll talk to her in the morning,"_

_"Yeah," Sapphire nodded. "Together."_

Garnet adjusted her shades; she sat down in the sand and looked up at the stars in the night sky. She smiled to herself as she listened to the conversation going on inside her head.

It was great to be back.


	16. The Diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just read

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 16: The Diamonds**

"Let's move, let's move!" Pearl shouted through the busy temple; jumping onto the warp pad gracefully.

It was another day at the temple yet this time the atmosphere was chaotic. The family of gems was all rushing to gather their weapons and supplies; they were a mess. But it wasn't their fault; Greg had only just now informed them of a possible boss level sighting in the Ghost Zone. It was supposed to be one of the hardest levels since not even the beta testers could beat them.

But they were the Crystal Gems; one of the highest ranking groups in the game. After they defeated Jasper (with an equal lose on their end) many other players had finally realized their strength, not in numbers, but in perseverance. They were an inspiration to players everywhere.

Where ever they went they were showered with gifts for all their good deeds. So in other words, they were heroes to all those trying to escape.

"Pearl we're ready," Steven suddenly jumped onto the warp pad with Connie and Lion at his heels.

The skinny gem picked him up with ease. "Oh no you don't," She set him back on the wood floor. "Your powers aren't ready-"

"But I already managed to form a bubble!" The program complained; waving his hands in the air for affect.

Amethyst walked to stand beside Pearl. "She's right Steve-dude," She crossed her arms. "It's too dangerous for you to tag along with us,"

"Bu-" Steven cut himself off when Lars and Sadie moved in front of him to get on the warp pad with the others. "…but I can help! I'm a gem," He lifted his shirt to show his shinning pink stone.

"Put your shirt down Steven," The cool voice of Sapphire spoke from behind him; he did so. "We know you're a gem but your powers are too weak right now; you did summon your bubble but you nearly passed out within seconds. And we need you and Connie to watch over the temple and Centi while we're gone," She smiled at him before getting on the transportation device.

Suddenly a blanket was placed in Steven's arms. "He can't sleep without it so if he puts up a fuss give him that and let him watch some television," Peridot said before joining the others.

Steven frowned angrily, clenching the blanket in his right hand tightly. Before he could shout out a response he felt his hair being tussled and looked up to see Ruby grinning down at him.

"Trust me kid; missions aren't all they're cracked up to be." Her gaze softened. "I know you want to help us on the mission but you'd help us even more if you stay safe here. I mean, Garnet would hate to see you get hurt,"

Steven looked up with stars in his eyes, he nodded. "Yeah, can I see her when you guys get back?" He begged.

Connie looked away at the mention of the fusion.

"Of course," Ruby messed with Connie's hair as well before jumping to stand beside Sapphire. "See you squirt's later!"

Amethyst cheered loudly. "Throw a party Steven!"

"Amethyst," Pearl shouted in outrage.

The purple gem's laughter echoed as the team transported out of the temple.

* * *

A warp pad shinned bright in the Ghost Zone as the Crystal Gems landed safely.

"Whoa," Amethyst gaped in awe at the landscape. "This place is far out."

The new level was somewhere underground. A pitch black tunnel greeted them; the only source of light being the frequently glowing green ooze that seeped from the ceiling and fell onto the floor.

"Looks like someone has been here before us," Ruby made a mental note; motioning to the clothing remains of a killed player. "And it looks like the ooze is dangerous so we probably shouldn't touch it,"

Lars looked up. "But the junk is falling everywhere we step,"

"Steven's bubble sure would come in handy right now," Sadie sighed out.

Sapphire shrugged. "It would, but we can find another way across; Amethyst," Her gaze turned to the purple gem. "Do you have that dragon with you? Last time we got away from Peridot's marble spat with him,"

"Sure do!" Amethyst opened her menu bar. "And Greg made this cool thing where I can adjust his size and command him! It's so cool," She selected the beast and extracted him.

At first he fell on the floor; no bigger than anyone's shoe but then he started growing. Devin expanded until he was inches below the dripping ceiling. They watched as drops of slime hit his skin; it sizzled, but other than that it had no other affects.

"Alright, Devin could you lead us through this tunnel with your night vision?" Amethyst asked; walking to safety under the beast who acted as an umbrella.

Devin roared softly and led the way.

"I knew it was a good idea to keep this thing," Ruby said, grinning at her girlfriend.

Sapphire shoved her playfully. "It was my idea too," She said before looking around at the landscape; taking notice of shredded clothing. "…I think someone was here before us,"

"No," Ruby pointed to a weapon that was slammed into the wall; it was slowly disappearing. "I think they're still here," She summoned her gauntlet in defense. "Everyone keep your guard up; someone else may still be fighting on this level,"

Sapphire and the others also drew their weapons when the sound of metal clashing grew closer.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" Connie huffed out; watching the program summon his shield.

Steven blocked another one of Lion's attacks before grinning at her. "Because, I have to get better if I want to join the gems on missions," He waved his weapon away to face Connie fully. "And then I'll get to fight alongside Garnet! Man, she is so cool," He sighed out in a daze.

Connie scoffed.

"What?" Steven's face fell. "You don't like her?"

It had been about an hour since the other gems had left out on the mission and Steven couldn't seem to keep still. He wanted desperately to help the gems like his mother once had so he promised to train hard until he was as strong as her; if not more so.

Although, Connie on the other had had not been as thrilled.

"It's not like I don't like her," Connie lay on her back; feeling the sand heat up her clothed skin.

Lion walked away towards Centi when he realized that Steven was probably finished training; the child was currently making a sand castle, a good distance away.

"I just…don't you wonder where Mommy and Mama go when they form Garnet? I mean, do they disappear," Connie finished brokenly.

Steven sat down and gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry but, I don't know honestly," A sudden soft smile was plastered on his chubby face. "But I do know that they seem really happy when they fuse; in some weird way I think it makes them even closer and they like that…I think," He shrugged sheepishly.

Connie covered her arm over her eyes. "I…I just really miss them when they fuse. Wh-what if Garnet takes over and they're gone forever! I barely even know her but she seems to know me," Her breath came out in deep heaves. "An-and wha-what if they forget all about me; they're already planning on bringing her back and maybe they might stay that way—"

"It's okay,"

Connie felt something warm on the hand that wasn't over her face. She slowly uncovered her eyes to see Steven smiling down at her softly.

Her breath hitched at the same time that her face heated up.

"They would never do anything like that without talking to you," He stated confidently. "And I don't know much about her but Garnet seems pretty cool so I'm sure she would never try to take them from you,"

Connie wiped her tears away on her sleeve. "…okay,"

"Come on," Steven suddenly stood up; bringing the girl with him. "How about we skip training today and go get some ice-cream; when Ruby and Sapphire get back then you can talk to them about how you're feeling,"

She sighed. "Okay…thanks Steven," Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Sometimes you truly remind me of Rose,"

Steven glanced at her, acknowledging her comment, but said nothing in response.

* * *

Lapis couldn't help her eyes as they kept directing themselves back to Peridot's triangular hair. They were walking in the back of the group with their weapons drawn; Lapis with her water wings and Peridot…she didn't actually have a weapon out at the moment. But she did have two marble creatures by her side for protection.

It made her wonder.

"Hey," The water bender spoke in the thick silence. "What's your weapon? I've never seen it; not even when I was teamed up with you and Jasper,"

She was rewarded with an aggravated grunt. "Shouldn't we be focusing on the mission right now?" Peridot turned around to glare at her menacingly. "And stop staring at my hair! Yeah, I can see you looking through the marble's reflection; jerk," She then snapped back around and sped walked towards the front.

The waterbender felt a sting in her heart. Her only attempt to apologize for yesterday came crashing down with just a few words. It was her own fault she supposed; she did start by bringing up Peridot's past lover (who is dead now), mentioning her not being able to draw her weapon and then staring at her hair like an idiot. She wasn't gawking at it, more like she was admiring the soft looking unique fro.

"…h-hey I wasn't trying to make fun of you," Lapis got into a slow jog to catch up with the mechanic. "I really like your hair; it's a nice…shape?" She hadn't meant for it to sound like a question.

Peridot whipped back around with the most ruthless stare Lapis had ever seen. "I don't care; I don't like you, I never will, so just leave me the hell alone. It's bad enough that you butted into my personal affairs last night—"

"Exactly!" Lapis beamed. "I feel stupid about it too!"

"…did you just call me stupid?" Peridot countered; her icy glare putting Sapphire to shame.

The waterbender, realizing her mistake, shook her hands in denial. "No, no, no, no…I was just trying to make you understand that I like your hair and I don't care that you can't summon you weapon—"

**SMACK**

"Me and my weapon abilities are none of your damn business," Peridot scowled at her with a hand raised high from the slap. "I'm getting really tired of you pretending like you understand me, Lazuli," She got her last name out with great distaste.

The green gems heavy footsteps started up again long before the waterbender composed herself. Peridot didn't even spare her a glance when she noticed the faraway look in her eyes ocean blue eyes; a hand hovering her right cheek where dark blue finger prints lay scattered on her otherwise beautiful face.

 _'Beautiful or not, someone needs to put her in her place,'_ Peridot thought absent mindedly.

"Harsh," Lars winced when Peridot strolled past him. "…Sapphire wasn't even that mean," He whispered to himself.

Lapis, too ashamed to be embarrassed, let out a heavy sigh. She found her feet moving almost automatically; her water wings dropping with her depressed mood like a dog that had been scowled.

Sadie took pity on the waterbender and tried to reassure her. "D-don't worry about her; she's just really sensitive about her weapon,"

"Why?" Lapis couldn't help but asking; she wanted to know everything about the green girl, her heart yearned for it.

Lars crossed his arms. "She doesn't know how to summon it; so she gets really upset when people point it out. So, even though you didn't mean to…she still took it that way," He smiles sheepishly at her. "It's not your fault though; you weren't around that early in the group to know that,"

"…still, I should have known," Lapis sulked once more; her unwavering gaze locked on pointed green hair.

* * *

After what felt like hours, the gems had finally found themselves standing in front of a gigantic wide open door. To their surprise; a group of players were already in the boss room getting ready to battle. But unlike most groups, these players were only equipped with three members; players who they had never seen before, which was strange because the Crystal Gems were friends with every group in the game.

The clock was currently counting down…10

"We should help them out," Amethyst suggested eagerly; calling Devin back into her menu bar for safe keeping.

…9

Pearl bit her lip hesitantly. "I don't know; won't they just get in our way? Plus we've never even met these players before. So it won't be like we're helping allies but more on the lines of getting involved with total strangers,"

…8

"And they aren't asking for our help," Ruby added with a sigh. "Maybe we should just wait for them to finish; then we can watch to see what we're going up against,"

…7

Lars groaned. "Come on; let's just join them and get the job done in twice as much time,"

…6

There was no question about it; they were all exhausted from traveling in the ghost zone like maze for hours and they would do anything to get out and get some rest; even if it meant fighting with novices.

…5

"…what do you think?" Ruby looked at the blue gem beside her for her opinion.

…4

Sapphire pointed out the pro. "We can probably make some new allies if we help them out,"

…3

"Okay," Ruby nodded; accepting her lover's decision. "We're going in you guys,"

…2

Pearl glared at the satisfied look on Amethyst's face when the leaders of the team agreed with her. The gems then walked through the boss level door just before the countdown ended.

…1

The enormous boss level doors suddenly slammed shut behind them as time ran out. One of the mystery players on the novice's team snapped their neck around when they heard footsteps unlike their own.

"What the," A white male gem gaped in outrage when the Crystal Gems entered. "Who let you guys in?"

Amethyst snapped her whip out with a grin. "We let ourselves in; now just sit back and let the professionals help you out!"

"We don't need help you idiots," Another gem, this one a blue male, groaned out angrily.

The yellow female gem turned to face the boss who was emerging from the ground. "Who cares about that now; we need to focus on this mission,"

"Fine," The blue gem mumbled before glaring at the Crystal Gems. "Just don't get in our way, losers."

Amethyst growled. "Hey!"

"Told you we should have stayed out of it," Ruby sighed; getting into a low fighting stance when the ground began to shake.

Transparent hands, of diverse colors, emerged from the dirt covered ground; reaching out for something, anything, in their grasp.

"What are these things?" Amethyst threw her whip at one particular hand reaching for her but the whip went through it like a hologram; leaving the monster hand unharmed. "Wh-what the heck, my weapon goes right through it!"

Pearl tossed her spear but the same thing happened. "Same here," She moved closer to Amethyst; giving a futile kick to an orange hand calling out to her.

Lars and Sadie had a similar problem as they moved closer to Pearl and Amethyst. The four gems huddled close together; trying to escape the reaching hands.

"Weapons don't work but how about some good ole elemental powers," Ruby glanced at a hand nearby and focused all her energy into her right arm; she breathed out before snapping her fingers at the monster.

The hand was suddenly engulfed with heated flames; it tumbled over with a thud before disintegrating completely. A square gem was left in its wake.

"Flames work," Ruby revealed with a smirk; running off to burn other annoying limbs.

Amethyst perked up at the mention of flames having affect. She quickly went into her menu bar and got ready to bring out her secret weapon.

Sapphire followed her girlfriends' example; freezing hands and watching them disappear. "So does ice; Lapis, your water should work on them,"

"Uh, right," Lapis summoned a water ball and tossed it at the creatures. "They do work," She grinned; looking over her shoulder where Peridot stood. "Hey, you should stand behind me—" Lapis stopped in her tracks at the appealing sight.

The green gem seemed to be handling herself just fine. It looked like the acid from her marble creatures worked wonders on the possessed limbs as Peridot commanded them from above.

"Hmm," Peridot glanced at her with an unimpressed sneer. "Stay behind you? Please, I can take care of myself; I'm getting sick of you belittling me like that,"

Lapis's jaw went slack. "No, I wasn't I—"

Powerful flames heated up the soles of her feet; causing Lapis to fall over in agony. She grasped her feet to relive the pain while her health bar dropped to eighty. Her blue eyes looked to see who had caused them.

"Stop messing with Peridot and pay attention; that hand was about to drag you down," It was Amethyst; she had shrunk her dragon down to a decent size and was now riding him like a horse. "Heal yourself and watch the others while I cover Ruby and Sapphire,"

Lapis gave a soft nod and watched the purple gem run off to assist the team. The waterbender retrieved a white gem shard and crushed it between her hands; healing her injuries. When that was all said and done she ran to protect the others; not sparing Peridot another glance.

* * *

"Dad; it's me Steven and Connie," He shouted as they walked into the van. "Are you in here?"

Greg popped up from the kitchen; closing the stove to face them fully. "I'm over here kiddo; just cooking something for dinner, I can make extra if you kids are hungry,"

"No thanks, we just had ice-cream," Steven said; sitting down on the couch with Connie beside him.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a mission in the ghost zone?" The older man asked.

Steven huffed. "Everyone says I'm not strong enough to fight but I really think I can help; so instead I was left to babysit Centi and the temple…" He ran his fingers through his black curls. "He fell asleep at the house so we decided to let Lion take over,"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that they won't let you on missions…but you have to understand; you're important to us all Steven and they just want to keep you safe," Greg smiled. "But one day when you do master and control your powers; you may be able to help them in ways even your mother never could,"

"…I don't know,"

Connie mumbled shyly. "Well believe it; you helped cheer me up earlier and that's something your mom was really good at,"

"I know, I have her memories, but…" Steven clutched his gem through his shirt. "She was my mother in real life too and I…I want to know more about her; outside the game I mean," He looked at his father with a determined gleam in his eyes.

Greg found himself smiling. "…I thought you'd never ask,"

* * *

"There's the boss," Ruby looked at the gem beside her. "Ready to take him down," She gestured to the large mass of combined limbs that represented the boss.

Sapphire nodded curtly; a thick layer of ice covering her knuckles. "Ye-"

"Move out the way," The blue gem shoved between them to stand before the boss. "It's a surprise that you guys got passed the minions but this is where your luck runs out,"

Ruby felt her body heat up; she clenched her fist at her side tightly. "Luck? Who do you think you are?"

"We're The Diamonds," A stoic yellow gem answered; arms crossed as her two teammates approached the boss. "Hope and Regent; take this guy down so we can get out of here. We have a ton of work to do back at the base,"

"You got it boss," The blue gem said with a smirk; he called to his menu bar and pulled out a strange gun.

It looked like a water toy for children but the strange glowing neon green color emitting from it made them think twice. He took aim at the boss before pulling the trigger; a neon green power ball was hurled at the monster. It landed right in the creatures palm before it suddenly froze it in a block of ice.

"Your turn Regent," The blue gem said; putting his gun away with the flick of his wrist.

Regent, the white gem, jumped high in the air; a large hammer grasped in his hands. "I'm on it Hope!"

He smashed his hammer onto the frozen beasts' fingertips with full force; grinning when it cracked slowly before crumbling down. The broken parts evaporated into firework like specks; the word  **'WINNER'**  floated high in the air as the minions also began to fade away.

"Whoa," Amethyst grinned, jumping off of her dragon to speak to Hope. "Was that gun your weapon?"

Hope scoffed, shoving his hands into his pocket. "What, no way was I wasting my weapon on a weak boss level like this one…that was just a freeze ray I found while swimming underwater when we were searching for treasure," The blue gem tapped the light blue Diamond on his forehead. "My weapon is way cooler than that,"

"I bet," Amethyst said unusually shy.

Hope smirked at the blushing purple gem before looking at the others. "Who are you losers anyway?"

"And who do you think you are; joining us on a boss level like we're allies," Regent said with a scowl.

Sapphire responded calmly. "We're the Crystal Gems; one of the top groups in the game and we've never seen you before and thought you may be novices who needed some help,"

The strange gem trio let out soft chuckles.

"What's so funny," Ruby grinded her teeth.

The yellow gem stopped laughing with slight trouble before getting serious. "It's just that—we're The Diamonds; also known as the highest ranked group in this game, we just find it funny how _you_ think  _we_ need help is all,"

"…thanks for helping us out then," Amethyst recovered first; gazing mainly at Hope who once again smirked at her.

Pearl rolled her eyes at the display.

"Us doing all the work is more than helping out; you were just lucky enough to make it inside before the buzzer and steal this win," Regent said with a scoff.

"Steal?" The red gem huffed out in outrage.

Sapphire immediately held Ruby back when she tried to jump the taller gem; speaking soothing words into her lover's ear to calm her down. The Diamonds didn't seem to notice Ruby's outburst.

"You guys are boring but, I am curious about that tall gem with the afro that we've heard about," The yellow gem said; making all but Peridot (who knew nothing) freeze in their spots. "…any idea where she came from? She'd make an excellent addition to the team," Her cold eyes drifted to Ruby and Sapphire.

Ruby gave a shrug and crossed her arms. "We have no clue—one day she just showed up to help us out and then just vanished; haven't seen her since,"

Sapphire nodded. "We think she's some kind of solo vigilante; helping players in need before fleeing at the scenes,"

The yellow gem sneered. "Well…if you ever see her again tell her that Yellow Diamond—leader of The Diamonds—wants to have a word with her,"

"I'll make sure to pass on the message," Ruby said, blindly grabbing Sapphire's hand.

Yellow Diamond nodded. "Let's go you two; we have boss levels to find," She didn't wait for an answer as she teleported out of the zone.

"Yes m'am," Regent said; following his leader quickly but not before glaring at the Crystal Gems.

Hope sighed; looking at the purple gem. "I'll see you around," He winked; leaving the room right after.

"I don't like him," Pearl said strictly; gesturing to where Hope was previously standing.

Ruby growled. "Hell, I don't like any of them," She saw Sapphire nod at her side.

Amethyst smiled sheepishly. "Hope seems cool to me,"

* * *

"What do you think?"

Ruby scoffed, folding her arms as she stared blankly at the ceiling in the temple. "I hate them; they're arrogant, cocky and they upstaged us! Us!" She growled. "We would have beat that boss in a cooler way; you would have froze him and then I'd come in with my gauntlet a-"

"No," Sapphire stopped her softly. "What do you think; about what they  _said_ ,"

Ruby immediately tensed up. "…I'm worried; about the safety of Garnet," She confessed softly.

It had been two hours since the gems had returned back to the temple and although they won it didn't feel like a victory; at least not one to be proud of. They had totally just jumped into a mission with an unknown team, only to be out staged and knocked down a level. When Steven asked how it went everyone just put on their best smile and changed the subject; they couldn't bear to tell him the truth.

So they had a quiet dinner at the kitchen table before everyone retired to their rooms for the night; that's how Ruby found herself in Sapphire's room with her head in the blue girl's lap. Connie must have been with Steven and Centi in the living room watching television.

"I have a feeling that we can't let them in on our secret," Ruby mumbled with her lip caught between her teeth. "I'm not trying to be selfish and keep this between us or anything either…something just felt seriously wrong about them,"

Sapphire nodded, running her hands through thick curls. "I know; we'll have to be more careful about where we practice and we also have to teach the others as soon as possible," She bit her lip at what she was about to confess. "…I think we should only use fusion for emergencies; that way it won't get into the wrong hands,"

"That sounds good," Ruby lied straight through her teeth. "…any visions for the future that could help us out?" She tried changing the subject to ease her heavy heart.

Sapphire smiled sadly. "The possibilities keep changing-"

There was a soft knock on the temple door. "Mommy, mama, it's me can I come in,"

"…Connie," Sapphire whispered; she raised her hand, gem glowing, and opened the door for the program.

Connie walked in and sat down beside them on the floor. "…can I talk to you guys for a second?"

"Sure thing squirt," Ruby sat up fully and looked at the child. "What's on your mind?" Her face fell into the palm of her hand lazily.

"Wh…when you form Garnet; is it like you two disappear?" The child hesitated, looking down at her entwined hands; not being able to look them in the eyes. "Because she seems like her own person whenever she's around and I'm scared that she'll take control of you and then I'd neve-"

Sapphire held her hand up. "Don't even finish that, sweetie…Garnet is her own person, defiantly, but we are still there; living and breathing inside her mind. We have complete and total control of the situation when we fuse,"

"So we'll never leave you, okay?" Ruby added softly; holding her arms out. "Come here,"

Connie shyly crawled over to rest between strong arms; she placed her head on Ruby's chest. She could faintly feel Sapphire joining them in the hug.

"If…if you don't want us to form Garnet anymore-" Ruby began.

"-then we won't," Sapphire finished.

If this had been three days prior then she would be jumping at the opportunity to keep them split up but now she knew better; she knew how much it meant to them and how important it was. She may not understand just how much Garnet means to them but; she wanted to.

So instead Connie shook her head as she recalled what Steven had told her. "No, I know how happy you two are when you fuse…I think…I just need to get to know her, that's all,"

"Okay then," Ruby grinned; looking down at the child happily.

Sapphire smiled just as bright. "Tomorrow, you and she can spend the day together,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I know it's been too long since I've updated but I had the worst writers block ever. But the good thing is; writing this helped me come up with more chapters for the future. So I will try updating again this week and I will have Love, Baseball and Ballet up as well so look out.
> 
> I got the snapping fingers and making flames thing from Roy Mustang from my favorite anime; Fullmetal Alchemist, that show is amazing so watch it if you haven't. And the diamonds are from that picture during jailbreak and serious Steven; where the diamonds are in a weird pyramid and they are yellow, white and blue. It's not a theory, just something cool I thought I could use for the story.
> 
> Also, this story is coming to a close end; in just about five or four more chapters. Anyway I'm sorry for the late update and please review to tell me what you think; I'll see you guys soon.


	17. The Deal

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 17: The Deal**

Ruby leaned back into her chair; arms folded protectively across her chest. “I don’t like them,”

Sapphire held back a giggle. It was a serious moment they were having; the Crystal Gems were all in the conference room speaking on the subject of the Diamonds. But she couldn’t help but take in the red gems childlike behavior; the adorable pout, arms crossed as if to throw a tantrum and a child’s basic comeback of—I don’t like them.

How could she not find it humorous?

But Sapphire knew there was a time and a place so she coughed back a laugh; answering as serious as she could. “I don’t like them either; but they aren’t doing anything wrong—“

“I know, but they just came out of nowhere!” Ruby rebuffed. “Is that supposed to be some kind of coincidence?”

Sapphire hummed. “And they’re looking for Garnet; they said they wanted to talk to her,” She gave her girlfriend a pointed look.

“…no, no way in hell,” Ruby scoffed; turning away from the blue gem.

Ruby knew what she was talking about; after being together for a while now, and forming Garnet, they had somehow created a connection between each other. A connection that helped them understand what the other meant without them having to voice it.

But, the others in the room didn’t have that connection.

“Care to shed some light?” Amethyst said, albeit a little impatiently.

Sapphire spoke first. “I think that if the Diamonds want Garnet then we’ll give them Garnet,”

“It’s too risky; we don’t even know why they want her, it could be a trap!” Ruby rebuffed.

“An even better reason to find out them, hm?” Sapphire said, hearing the faint sound of a knock on the universal door. “Who’s knocking during our meeting time?”

Ruby huffed, shouting over her shoulder. “Who is it?”

A muffled, Connie, answered them on the other side.

The red gem softened her features as she held her gem holding hand up; it flashed bright red before it commanded the metal door to slide open, revealing a hectic looking Connie.

“What’s wrong with your face?” Amethyst chided playfully; earning a glare from Ruby and Sapphire. “…just joking,” She chuckled nervously, not wanting to get on their bad side.

Connie took a deep breath. “The leader of The Diamonds, Yellow Diamond, is out in the living room! She said she has a proposition for Garnet; you better fuse fast, I left her alone with Steven and Centi. I don’t know where Peridot went,” She got out in what felt like one breath.

Pearl rose at the mention of Steven, she growled. “I’ll kill her if she misplaces a single hair on his head,” The child was Rose Quartz offspring; she had to protect the only thing left of her on this planet. “Ruby and Sapphire, can you two please fuse and see what she wants while I improvise; come on guys,” She announced to the others.

Connie led the way for the other team members as Ruby and Sapphire mulled it over.

“I still don’t think we should do it,” Ruby then hesitated. “But, we should see what she wants; are you ready?” She held out her gem holding hand; a sign of trust in the Gem world.

Sapphire nodded; a soft smiling rising to her face. “Is it weird that I was hoping for this outcome?”

“Not at all,” Ruby chuckled.

* * *

 

Yellow Diamond hummed, leaning back in the comfortable living room chair. “So your mother was Rose Quartz then? I didn’t get to meet her but I had heard great things, like—“ She trailed a slim long pointed finger up the program’s shirt; stopping just where his gem would be.

“I’ve heard amazing things about her gem, and it’s power.” She licked her lips hungrily.

Steven shifted, he didn’t like the way she was looking at him; like he was a prize that she just had to get her hands on. “Y-yeah, it’s nothing really; I can’t even summon my bubble without passing out,” He tried to down play it as he took a step back.

“But you’ve heard about my mom and she probably hasn’t heard of you,” Steven dared to look into her electric yellow eyes; it sent a slight shock up his spin. “Where have you been all this time; it’s kind of like you came out of nowhere,”

Yellow Diamond smirked; as if she had been waiting for him to mention that. “I could say the same thing about you, Steven,”

The child didn’t have time to take in what she meant when the universal door slid open. Pearl was the first to emerge and grabbed Steven; placing him safely behind her. Lapis went to pick up Centi before standing next to the rest of the team.

“Wow, you sent your entire team on me; I must be a threat,” The yellow gem grinned with an eyebrow raised, she hummed. “Not everyone, where’s the big girl? I have to speak with her, she is the leader now that Quartz is gone. Right?”

Pearl frowned. “Look, what do you want?”

The yellow gem sighed. “I thought I just said it,” She looked at Steven who was peeking at her from behind Pearl’s leg. “You heard me right, child?”

Steven nodded hesitantly.

“Good then, if the child understood then I am sure you did,” She motioned to Pearl. “Now where is—“

“I’m right here,” A cool yet hard voice spoke from the corner.

Everyone whipped their heads around to see Garnet standing tall in all her glory. She was wearing black jeans, black boots, and a blue v-neck that was almost completely covered by a grey leather jacket which fell to her thighs; giving it a baggy look. She wore her usual black shades and her hair was curly as ever.

Garnet stepped down the parting path her team created for her and stood before the sitting diamond gem.

“You were defiantly worth the wait,” Yellow Diamond grinned; standing up, only to tower over the fusion by a head.

But Garnet didn’t back down.

“I heard that you wanted to see me?” She said calmly, arms crossed over her chest.

The taller gem nodded. “Yes, I have been trying to reach you for a while now but you never seem to be in one place at once; where have you been?” She asked.

Garnet shrugged. “Off searching for new boss levels and helping out a few players in need; I don’t really like to stay still and I’d like to get out of this game as soon as possible,”

“I see,” Yellowed Diamond hummed; looking around at the numbers. “The green gem was outside on the porch when I got here but where are the others? You know, the short ones,”

_Ruby huffed. “Short? I’m not—“_

_“Ruby. We’re short.” Sapphire stopped her before she could even begin the debate._

“They are taking care of a boss search for me while I talk to you; so can we hurry this up, this is supposed to be their day off,” Garnet said smoothly. “Why are you here?”

The diamond nodded. “I actually came for him,” She pointed to Steven who hid further behind Pearl. “I want little Steven to join The Diamonds,”

Pearl scoffed. “Are you crazy!”

“Of course not,” The yellow gem deadpanned. “I just see a great opportunity to have a powerful gem on our team; he should be honored, The Diamonds only recruit the best players in the game,”

Garnet frowned. “And if we refuse?”

Yellow Diamond grinned. “Then I’ll just have to take him; I’ve done my research about you Garnet, at least, as much as I could gain,” She paused. “I know you have somewhat of future visions so you probably know what will be waiting for you outside if you refuse,”

The crystal gems glanced at each other nervously.

Garnet clenched her fists. “What are my other options?”

“Either you hand him over peacefully or you battle me; if you win, I let him go but if I win,” Yellow Diamond looked at the other teammates. “Then you all have to join my team and the Crystal Gems merge with The Diamonds,”

Pearl scoffed. “There is no way that Garnet wo—“

“Deal,” Garnet said, stoically holding her hand out for the taller gem to shake.

Yellow Diamond smiled, taking the offered hand and shaking it firmly. “You are as smart as they claim you to be,” She pulled her hand away and crossed them behind her straightened back. “I suppose an even battlefield would do us both good so we will be fighting in the old battle coliseum in an hour; I’ll see you then,”

Garnet nodded curtly. Her glasses reflected the bright yellow spark as Yellow Diamond teleported out of their home.

Pearl was the first to speak. “I can’t believe you would actually agree to her demands! What if you lose or—“

“If I lose then we will join the Diamonds who are trying to return home just as bad as we are, I don’t see the problem with getting extra support even if we won’t be in charge,” Garnet mumbled, arms crossed as she stared up at the ceiling.

“B-but we don’t even know them! We should have denied them an—“

Ruby snapped, taking over as she bit a response back at Pearl. “Would you rather risk our safety and have them take Steven away from us?” She pointed to the shaken up boy who was rubbing his gemstone. “…that’s what I thought,”

Garnet turned her back to them and walked onto the warp pad. “We head out in thirty minutes,”

The rare outburst had the group snapping their mouths shut and scurrying to collect their weapons for the match. Pearl didn’t open her mouth to object again and Garnet wasn’t seen for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

 

Garnet called to her red crystal sword, resting it in her right hand, while her left arm sat equipped with a transparent blue shield. She had changed her outfit into something more fitting to wear for battle but also not too flashy. A tight black long sleeved shirt, black semi-tight leather jeans and heavy combat boots. She wore a dark green belt, matching her shoes, that was equipped with daggers and other small tools she may need during her battle.

The cool dark, almost black, cape flying off her shoulders was Ruby’s own personal design; she just thought it would look cool.

_“This is so annoying,” Sapphire huffed with a hand massaging her temples._

_The bright red figure before her shrunk. “I knew the cape was a bad idea,” Ruby sighed, looking through Garnets eyes at them in the full length mirror._

_Sapphire frowned. “No, the cape is fine, it’s just that my future vision isn’t working right now. Something is getting in the way,”_

_Ruby narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists tightly at her side. “…so we’re doing this blind I suppose? Anything can happen,”_

_“I guess we are,” Sapphire mumbled. “I’ve never fought without having a quick peek into the future, I’m nervous…”_

_Ruby grabbed her hand. “It’s not that bad, I do it all the time and I do fine,” She tried to smile but couldn’t find it in her to. “Just focus on the task at hand, even if we lose we can at least protect Steven while on their team,”_

_Sapphire nodded. “Right,”_

“Garnet,” A light voice traveled through the fusions dressing room door. “They are ready for you out here,” The door cracked open to reveal a nervous looking Connie, she was looking at the floor.

Garnet walked over to her slowly. “Thank you Connie,” She offered a soft smile and a pat on the head before she started walking down the dark alley way; the light at the end indicating the coliseum lights.

Connie called after her. “Be careful, I would like to see my mommy and mama right after she kicks this guys butt,” She grinned softly with her arms crossed.

Garnet sent her a smile from over her shoulder, waving. “I understand.”

When she turned back around the smile was wiped clean from her face.

* * *

 

**Welcome all to one of the most extreme battles we are probably going to have ever! We have the leader of The Diamonds, a new notorious group who has been beating boss levels left and right going up against Garnet! A new vigilante who lurks in the shadows and only appears when you are in need of help.**

**These two are going to duel it up for us today so I need you all to make some noise!**

The crowd let out a loud roar from the stands. Even the people who were watching at home and all over the game were cheering quietly to themselves.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Pearl mumbled.

The Crystal Gems were sitting in a booth right above the battle field, the best seats in the house. Garnet would be exiting from under them when the announcer called for her.

Amethyst leaned back in her seat. “What choice do we have?”

**Ladies and gentlemen; Yellow Diamond! She stands undefeated right now and has beaten a total of thirty boss levels, nearing the fifty mark as we speak.**

Steven gaped, a soft grin on his cute face. “No way, that’s so many! I wish I could have a cool record like that,” He whined, bouncing in his seat as Yellow Diamond walked into the middle of the field.

She was dressed in the same attire as before but this time she was wielding two bright yellow swords. Each long in length but thick in width; it looked like they could slice through anything.

**And to our right we have Garnet, make some noise! I know you have all been wondering what she looks like after hearing about the stories! She single handedly defeated the firey dragon, those hot flames doing nothing to her, and laughed in the ice wizards face; she’s immune to cold!**

**She wields a record of completing twenty five boss levels and leads the Crystal Gems on a daily basis, give her some love!**

Steven grinned. “Garnet is even cooler!” He looked at Lapis who was sitting beside him. “I didn’t know she did all of that,”

Lapis shrugged, uncomfortable with the way he was leaning into her. “Don’t look at me, I barely know her,”

Steven calmed down once again as Garnet met Yellow Diamond in the circle. They each shook each other’s hand before jumping a good distance away and getting into a fighting stance.

**Let the games begin!**

Garnet didn’t wait as she used her speed to run in front of her foe, quickly side stepping so that she was behind Yellow Diamond in a flash. She took her sword and aimed it at the back of her foe’s neck, ready to strike.

But Yellow Diamond was ready with two swords crisscrossed together, acting as s shield. She smirked, using her strength to shove Garnet away from her. Garnet momentarily lost her footing as she back flipped before landing onto her feet, only to look up and see a bright yellow sword coming her way.

A loud clack echoed and vibrated off the walls as Garnet rose her blue sword to block the attack. Although the attack was stopped, she was still thrown back a couple of feet due to the impact.

Steven gasped, jumping up to take hold of the protective rail. “They’re both so fast,”

“And strong,” Connie muttered beside him, narrowing her eyes at the unnatural speed of Yellow Diamond as she dodge each attack Garnet threw at her. “…too fast if you ask me,”

Steven looked at her, confused. “What was that Connie?”

She shook her head. “Nothing,”

_Ruby growled. “I’m sick of hiding behind this shield!”_

_Sapphire nodded. “Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we?” She smirked._

_“We shall,” Ruby grinned wolfishly._

The crowd gasped in shock as Garnet retracted her shield and got rid of her sword. She stood defenseless on the battle field as Yellow Diamond approached her.

“How weak, do you think I am?” The yellow gem shouted as she ran towards the mobile fusion with two swords ready to strike.

Amethyst jumped up along with the rest of the team. “Is she crazy, she’s going to get creamed without a weapon!”

“She does have a weapon,” Connie said, making them all glance at her.

When the swords were just in her reach, Garnet called to her gauntlets. A bright pink light engulfing the stadium as her powerful hand took each sword in her palm, halting Yellow Diamonds movements, and the other fist quickly approaching the diamond shard that rested on her chin.

Except it never made it.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion, her fist stopped right before connecting with the stone and the swords in her hand slipping right through and aimed at her neck; almost ghost like before they materialized just a quickly.

The words ‘immortal object’ flashed in light white letters before disappearing just as quickly.

Garnet frowned, she was suddenly trapped and if she moved the sharp blades would cut through her skin.

**Ladies and gentlemen, Yellow Diamond is the winner! Give her a round of a plagues!**

The yellow gem retracted her weapons before standing straight, she cracked her back. “Well that was fun, too bad you lost vigilante,” She smirked. “You and you’re gang, belong to me now. You can keep living in that stupid temple and you can be the leader of the Crystal Gems, which will become part of the Diamonds, but you personally listen to me,”

She turned around and started walking back to the dugout. “I expect to see you and you’re squadron tomorrow by noon; don’t keep us waiting,”

Garnet clenched her fists as her side, letting her weapons fade away without an effort.

_Ruby bit the inside of her cheek. “Did you see it too?”_

_Sapphire nodded. “Yeah, an immortal object,”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t updated in what feels like years and I am so sorry guys. This story is coming to an end with only two/three more chapters to go; please hang in there and thank you for being patient. I’ll try and update The Firebender but I have to see, anyway I’ll see you guys later and:
> 
> Happy Halloween!


	18. The Final Boss

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 18: The Final Boss**

Pearl fell back onto the couch, palm grasping her forehead as it began to ache. "Are…are you sure? Just because she's an immortal object doesn't—"

"It's true Pearl," Garnet mumbled, arms crossed around her chest as she looked out as they teleported through the warp pad. "Yellow Diamond is the creator of the game, she has to be. The only other immortal object here was Connie and she agreed with us,"

Amethyst groaned, clutching her purple hair into her fists tightly. "Then why are we teaming up with the enemy? We should start a full blown rebellion with the other players,"

Steven fiddled with his fingers, looking down. "They won't listen to us, the Diamonds are the most respected players in the game and have won more levels than we have. Garnet is right, our best bet is to wait for our chance and attack,"

Garnet nodded, looking down at her team who gazed at her wearily. "I will get us out of here, even if I have to risk my own life. So if you ever get scared, just remember what Rose Quartz fought for,"

The warp stopped, landing them in the Diamond's lair on the moon.

"…what we're all fighting for," Garnet's shades tinted bright red. "Freedom,"

Lars grinned despite the situation, crossing his arms. "We've been following you ever since Rose left block head, you don't think we'll leave you now do you? What's the plan, I know you have one,"

"I do," Garnet grinned, turning her back to them. "Steven and Connie stay with me, the rest of you stick together if we are separated. The moment you are away from the Diamonds you tell their team who they are and cause a rebellion,"

Amethyst nodded. "Understood,"

The metal doors opened with a loud creak, revealing three large chairs. In the middle of the chair was Yellow Diamond herself and beside her to her right was White Diamond and on her left was Blue Diamond. There was a long red carpet leading to the high respected gems and their army stood below them, conversing about their new victory and how they would have Garnet, the most wanted solo player, on their team.

The Diamonds, and their army, all wore shiny white armor that made The Crystal Gems cover their eyes.

"Right on time, Garnet," Yellow Diamond grinned devilishly. "And you brought your army, it's a bit small, how were you able to beat all those levels with such a miniature team,"

Garnet walked forward, arms crossed behind her back with her cape swinging to and fro. "Where my team lacks numbers they make up for it in skill, you of all people should know that," She stopped short when she reached the black steps that led up to the Diamonds.

"Bow before us, it's rude not to," Blue Diamond said, a cocky smirk on his arrogant face.

Garnet did no such thing and held her ground.

"Hold your tongue insolent child," Yellow Diamond sneered at the younger boy beside her. "Garnet is going to be a valuable part of our team, just you watch, she is to be treated like our equal,"

The afro haired fusion nodded her thanks, ignoring the pointed glare Blue Diamond sent her way. "I'm glad to hear you say that, because I was hoping that you would accompany Steven, Connie and I to Homeworld; a new planet I discovered recently. I have fair claim to believe that the final boss level lies within it,"

Yellow Diamond's army gasped loudly, their metal weapons falling to the floor before a deep silence met them.

"That's preposterous!" Blue Diamond snarled, rising to his feet with a curse on his tongue.

"Even so," Yellow Diamond hummed, twisting her fingers together in thought. "I believe it is an excellent idea to give it a quick search. But won't it be faster if I send my entire army and you yours?"

Garnet didn't take the bait. "If I am wrong I wouldn't want all those armies to be dispatched for nothing, if something goes wrong when we're gone both of our armies will be able to take care of it. And Steven and Connie have had some time to explore the new land and will prove to be useful,"

"…you can even bring one of your Diamonds with you, if you are feeling uneasy," Garnet suggested, motioning to the calm White Diamond and the eager Blue one.

He leaped up, ready to summon his weapon. "I will accompany you, my liege!"

"Sit down," Yellow Diamond sighed as she rose from her throne, fazing into her white armor. "I will go with White Diamond; you stay here and watch over my kingdom,"

"Yes ma'am," White Diamond bowed, sticking his tongue out at Blue Diamond from a distance.

Garnet nodded her head. "I will need to see you universe warp pad in order for us to get there,"

"Yes of course," Yellow Diamond waved her hand lazily. "White Diamond, show us the way,"

The middle Diamond nodded sternly before he sped walked towards their galaxy warp pad, Yellow Diamond right beside him. Garnet allowed Steven and Connie to walk ahead of her and she slowed down when she reached Amethyst and Pearl.

"Remember, if worse comes to worse use your trump card," Garnet mumbled as she eased by them. "And when we teleport, get rid of the warp pad,"

Pearl nodded despite herself. "…understood,"

* * *

Homeworld's warp pad landed them on a desolate island filled with trees that stretched forever into the jungle. The sky was dark and showed signs of rain, there were no signs of life and the only clue they had was a long brick road leading straight that quickly split into two halves. One side heading right and the other left which was equally dark.

"…we should split up," Garnet adjusted her shades, pursing her lips together. "Yellow Diamond and I can go left while you three go right, I'm sensing something in these two directions. I'm sure they each lead to the same thing but the paths are different and filled with challenges,"

Yellow Diamond hummed, kicking a rock to the side before she walk to the path of the fusions choice. "I have no problem with it, as long as we find this boss and get out of this game, right?"

"Right," Garnet nodded, looking up at the graying sky. "We should get moving; I think it may rain soon,"

Without any further delay, each set of groups went their separate ways and plunged deeper into the forest.

* * *

Blue Diamond groaned on his throne, arms behind his head. "Why does White Diamond get to do everything? I'm just as cool as he is," He pouted.

Amethyst stopped in front of the blue gem, Pearl not too far behind her. "This is a total snooze fest, watching these nerds, how about you show my friend and I The Diamond's battle dome? I heard it's like no other,"

Blue Diamond shrugged, scratching his cheek lazily. "It is, but I'm not supposed to leave this throne. Yellow Diamond would kill me if she knew,"

"Why does she get to be in charge?" Amethyst tempted.

The blue gem frowned as if it were obvious. "She's the game cr—savior. She's like the best,"

"You deserve some fun too, don't you?" Amethyst smirked. "Come on, hang out with us for a while, the army can take care of itself. What are they going to do, throw a rebellion?"

Blue Diamond snickered, jumping down from his throne sheepishly. "I guess you're right and we'll only be gone for a few minutes," He bit his lip before nodding. "Yeah, okay, let's get this thing moving!"

Amethyst grinned. "Great!"

Pearl followed behind the conversing gems and gave thumbs up behind her back. Sadie and Lars saw the signal and summoned their weapons, attention pointed at the galaxy warp while Peridot and Lapis began speaking to the army.

* * *

Halfway through their walk along the cobblestone road, Yellow Diamond stopped. Garnet watched as she cracked her neck and turned to look at her, a frown on her face.

"When did you find out?" The leader of the Diamonds asked, not one to beat around the bush. "About me being the game creator," She classified.

Garnet let her fist fall, summoning her weapons; she wouldn't be using the shield or sword today, no. Garnet would be fighting with her own weapons. Ruby and Sapphire had spent months fighting this battle and now it was time for Garnet to pull some weight.

She was her own person now.

"During our battle," Garnet told her what she wanted to know, taking note of the lightening in the sky. "I should have pierced you but I went right through you and then the words _'immortal object'_ appeared, that's when I knew,"

Yellow Diamond nodded. "Your future vision will not do well for you here, I hope you know that."

"I hope you know that I won't be using borrowed power today," Garnet remarked.

"I like you," Yellow Diamond grinned. "If you hadn't discovered my identity then you and I would have been great friends. But no matter how much I respect you, I can't let you destroy my paradise,"

Garnet clenched her fists. "You call this a paradise? People are dying in the real world; they are being taken from their families!"

"Wrong, how many players join my game just to get away from their terrible lives?" Yellow Diamond grinned. "Ooo, look who's getting quiet now! I bet you were one of them, you hated your life and you just wanted to get away for a while,"

The fusion nodded. "I admit that I am no one to judge because I made the same mistake, but people should be given a choice wither they want to die here or not! You owe us that much,"

"I don't think I do, you see, I am the people's savior!" Yellow Diamond shouted, arms held up. "I took their pain away and brought them to this amazing land where they met all these amazing people. You're a fusion, right? You two don't just fuse for battling, you do it for pleasure, if it weren't for me then you two never would have met!"

Yellow Diamond laughed maniacally. "I brought you together, it's thanks to me!"

"It's also thanks to you that Rose Quartz is gone!" Garnet shouted, not able to hold back anymore; she was seeing red.

Yellow Diamond's neck bended at a strange angle, an evil gleam in her eyes. "I'm also the reason why Steven Universe is here—"

"Shut-up!" Garnet screeched, losing her composure as she charged at the psychopath that was Yellow Diamond.

"Now it's getting good," The leader of the Diamonds licked her lips.

* * *

White Diamond stopped in his tracks, he sighed, glancing over his shoulder to the children a few feet away from him. "It's happening,"

Steven feigned confusion; he looked up at the larger gem. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"You know, if you weren't systems programmed for the game I'd actually feel bad about this," White Diamond mumbled, summoning his white glistening sword with a smirk. "Good thing you are, right? That means I won't hold back,"

Steven frowned, holding his hand out to Connie. "…I don't think I can take him on by myself," He looked over at the equally shy program, a blush on his face as he swallowed. "F-fuse with me?"

Connie gulped, taking his softer hand into hers. "It would be my pleasure,"

There was no time for a dance, but that was okay, Garnet had already told them what to do.

* * *

_"What are you two doing?"_

_Connie and Steven jumped apart from where they were dancing on the beach, looking down as the fusion approached them._

_"S-sorry Garnet," Steven kept his head bowed, flushing. "I just, I'm not strong enough to fight right now but I know, together, Connie and I can take on anything. I just want to be ready for tomorrow, I know bad things are about to happen an—"_

_"…that's not how you do it," Garnet said softly, a smile on her lips. "You won't have time to do a drawn out dance before the enemy is on you, it has to be fast. Touch hands and if you both are willing to consent, then it should happen in the blink of an eye. You two are both systems, so I don't know if your fusion will be weak or powerful,"_

_"The nature of you care for each other will decide that,"_

* * *

Hours of practicing in the sand had finally paid off as a light, brighter than White Diamond's armor, shined in the darkness. A creature emerged from the creation, a creature made of love and determination.

White Diamond clutched his sword tighter, snarling. "My liege warned me about creatures like, _you_ ,"

"It's Stevonnie," The tall fusion said, summoning pink armor to surround her. "And I'm not a creature, I'm a fusion,"

A warp tunnel opened from their left, causing White Diamond to step back, startled. When a large pink lion jumped out the second in command of the Diamonds drew two swords, eyeing the beast.

"Right on time buddy," Stevonnie jumped atop Lion's back and summoned Steven—Rose's sword—and her shield. "I may not be strong enough to fight on my own like Garnet but I will use all the help I can get, to take you down!"

White Diamond charged forward when the fusion came to him, nothing but death on his mind.

* * *

Blue Diamond pointed at the battle dome, slowly descending the stairs. "This is where we train our armies and such; we can make cool things erupt from the ground like fire if we need to."

Amethyst grinned at the thought. "That sounds awesome and imagine if you could summon a whole bunch of water in here, like a swimming pool!"

"That's what I said!" Blue Diamond exclaimed, thinking of all the idiotic possibilities. "But when I suggested it, Yellow Diamond told me it was a waste of material and summoned me to isolation,"

Amethyst frowned. "No way dude, I think it's a great idea," She mumbled shyly.

"Really?" Blue Diamond smiled softly at the purple gem.

Pearl frowned, nudging the shorter gem in the side. "Amethyst, we have something to do, remember? Does starting a rebellion help your memory? Or how about, finally getting out of this stupid game?"

"I know, but, maybe…" Amethyst bit her lower lip. "Blue Diamond, why are you so loyal to Yellow Diamond?"

The blue gem scoffed. "She's the most powerful being in the world, she's perfect and the most upright gem of all! I will forever serve her, I know she isn't too keen of me but if I please her, I know I'll win her heart,"

Amethyst shook her head, grabbing Pearl's hand with much ease now that she knew Blue Diamond couldn't be saved. "Too bad, in a different world, you would be my type,"

"What do you—"

A bright light made him hide his eyes and only until it dimmed did he look up, he gaped. "M-monster!" He drew his swords, aiming it at the newly created fusion. "What did you do with Amethyst and the less attractive skinny girl?"

The fusion frowned, towering over him as she withdrew a bow and arrow. "My name is Opal, fusion of Amethyst and Pearl. We know of Yellow Diamond being the creator of the game and Garnet is taking her down as we speak, Amethyst tried to get you to come to our side but alas, you are a lost soul,"

Blue Diamond sneered. "You're the lost souls in this situation! Yellow Diamond saved us from our awful lives to bring us to the promised land, you should bow before her!"

Opal closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "I can't make you understand the way I see things, all I can do is try to free you from your prison,"

"Blah, blah, blah!" Blue Diamond sneered, running head on to the fusion towering over him.

* * *

Yellow Diamond's army jumped at the sound of cracking and turned their attention to the galaxy warp pad. They shouted out in anger as Lars and Sadie finished destroying the warp pad, just as Garnet had asked them to do.

"Good job guys," Peridot said. "Now there's nothing stopping Garnet, Steven and Connie from getting their job done," She glanced around at the chaotic group that had settled on fighting each other rather than talking. "We didn't cause a rebellion but we caused a riot, that's close, right?"

Sadie shook her head. "N-not really, no,"

Lapis took it upon herself to jump on top of the now destroyed warp pad, shouting over the crowd. "Everyone listen up! Yellow Diamond is the creator of the game and is the one who has kept us all trapped in this hell! Garnet lied about a boss level to draw the boss to a deserted island where she plans on fighting for our freedom!"

"She wanted us to destroy the warp pad so no one could follow her," Lapis lowered her voice once everyone had calmed down. "She is following out Rose Quartz will, to be free! I don't know about you, but I want to see my family again and I'm not going down without a fight,"

She pointed in the direction Opal had left with Blue Diamond. "In addition to serving beside her, Blue Diamond and the rest of the Diamonds all knew about her plans of keeping us here! What do you say, will you help us take him down? For our freedom!"

"Freedom!" The army erupted, waving their weapons in the air as they trampled anything in their way and ran in the direction of the Diamond.

Sadie and Lars grinned, running along with the crowd and leaving the other gems alone.

"…that was pretty cool," Peridot mumbled, helping the waterbender down from the high warp pad. "How you caused the rebellion and spoke from your heart,"

"Thanks," Lapis said, smiling softly. "H-hey…if, I mean _when,_ Garnet saves the day…and we're back in the real world I was wondering, if you weren't busy," She bit her lower lip, blushing. "I would like to take you out, maybe for dinner or a movie…or both?"

Peridot flushed, turning her back to the taller girl as she followed the army. "…only if you're paying,"

Lapis grinned. "O-of course!"

* * *

Garnet swung her fist and aimed recklessly at the Diamond before her. Yellow Diamond dodged the erratic movement and punched the fusion in the stomach, launching her several feet away.

The Diamond crackled up a rambunctious laugh. "Even as a fusion you're no match for me!" She kicked Garnet in the stomach, the same place where she had punched her, watching her life drop down to forty. "Your times almost up,"

Garnet grabbed the leg and shot a powerful electric bolt up through the Diamond's leg, causing her to screech. Yellow Diamond, in her pain, punched Garnet upside her head several times until she was released.

"…too little, too late," Yellow Diamond shook her body, trying to rid herself of the annoying aftershocks. "What happened to 'not using borrowed power' I'm pretty sure that was Ruby's electric attack,"

In the mist of her punching, Garnet's shades had tumbled to the ground before disappearing; she rose up slowly, summoning more fists. "Everyone needs a little help now and then," Her voice was horse, weak even, lacking it usual boom.

She could feel herself slipping away.

"Help, is for the weak," Yellow Diamond easily punched the fusion in a strong upper cut, surely bruising her jaw. "…maybe I over estimated you fusion," She stared down at Garnet, smirking as her life force plummeted to five percent; she placed the heel of her foot on Garnet's chest, twisting it.

"Shame, I expected more from you," Yellow Diamond's face began to blur as Garnet fell into unconsciousness, her life force dropping to zero with one final kick. "I guess Rose Quartz truly did die for nothing,"

Nothing, if she left now than Rose would truly have died for nothing. She couldn't let that happen, no. Ruby and Sapphire had to meet outside in the real world and Greg had to see his newborn son and the others, they had so much faith in her.

**Pearl…**

_Pearl glanced at what was distracting the girl beside her. "Amethyst! I leave you alone for three minutes!"_

_"Ruby dared me to!" The purple gem smiled. "Now I'm winning,"_

_The red gem glared at her. "By two stupid points, dare me to do anything right now!"_

_Sapphire watched in fascination as Pearl squeezed the air out of Amethyst. The purple gem regained her usual form and moved her attention back to Ruby. The red gem was glaring at her from the counter and Pearl stood with her arms crossed._

**Amethyst…**

_"Dragon!" Greg screamed; covering his face with his arms._

_Amethyst chuckled as she patted the beast on its snout. "Devin is my dragon, Greg, and he totally saved us from Peridot,"_

_"But you can't keep him," Pearl said with her hands on her hips. "We need to destroy him in order to complete the boss level…"_

_Greg watched the purple gem pout; he hesitated. "Wh-what if I take the dragon's gem and make it into a system like I did with Rose and Steven," Amethyst and the others looked up. "You just have to poof him, then you'll win the boss level, and I can use his gem to recreate him,"_

_"Yeah!" Amethyst cheered. "Let's do that,"_

**Lars…**

_The blue gem grinned. "You know me well,"_

_"I have to." Lars stood up and stretched. "You're my best friend."_

**Sadie…**

_They finally loosened their grip on Pearl and created a hole in their love fest; inviting the other three to join._

_"No way-"Lars began but was forcibly pushed in by the blonde haired girl; he groaned. "Sadie!"_

_Sadie shrugged and stood beside Lars in the small circle._

**Peridot…**

_"Peri?"_

_She turned around to see Centi walking out from his room. He was in his night cloths; his green hair was a mess so she knew he had just woken up._

_"Hey brat," Peridot finished gathering her things. "Why are you up so early?"_

_He stood in front of her. "I was waiting for Jasper," He looked passed her legs as if the larger man would be there. "Where is he?"_

_Peridot bit her lip. "Gather your things, brat, we're going to live somewhere else for a while,"_

**Lapis…**

_"He did that to you didn't he?" Ruby spat out with fire in her eyes. "He's the one who gave you all those bruises." She shook her head desperately. "Lapis you can't stay with him; not with the way he treats you." Ruby begged._

_She ignored the red girl. "He kicked me out and now I'm alone."_

_Ruby's attempt to sway her out of staying with Jasper were silenced. Lapis thought she was alone? She didn't know what alone was until she walked a mile in Ruby's shoes._

_Alone was being ignored by your parents due to your sexuality. Alone was getting trapped in a video game with no hopes for escape. Alone was meeting the love of your life and not having them return your feelings._

_Ruby didn't know what alone truly meant to Lapis and she honestly could not judge her. Maybe her alone was having Jasper abuse her physically and verbally. Or maybe it was something in the real world. She didn't know; but she did know that they had to stick together._

_"Let's be alone together then," Ruby held out her hand._

**Connie…**

_Ruby glared at the system. "It's not!" Sapphire and Connie stopped talking at the outburst. "You're just as much of a victim as we are and I couldn't care less that you're a program." She holds her heart just like Sapphire. "You are our child and we love you…"_

_Ruby smiled. "It wouldn't be the same if you weren't a part of what we have," She offers her hand to Connie. "Please, come back with us to the temple and be a part of our family."_

_"You still want me?" More tears were created. "After what you found out what I am a part of?"_

_Sapphire grinned. "Nothing could stop us from loving you,"_

_"Love…" Connie scoffed. "I'm a system I shouldn't even know of such emotion…Is that what I'm feeling?" She looked down at her hands. "I'm so confused…"_

_Ruby stepped forward; kneeling down beside the girl on the floor. "Connie; you are feeling these human emotions now because the game doesn't control you anymore." She smiled. "Just tell us, what do you want?"_

_"I want…" Her bottom lip quivered. "What I want…" Connie held her arms out to the two gems; crying. "I want to be with you; mama and mommy!"_

_That was enough for Sapphire to react._

_The blue gem slide down to the floor and pulled the girl into her arms. "You will be," She smiled._

_"Yeah," Ruby wrapped her arms around them both. "We can be a family…"_

**Rose…**

_"Ruby," Rose said; turning around to face Jasper so she and Ruby were back to back. "I didn't choose you because you are fireproof; I knew that Lapis was going to betray us but I also know that if anyone can talk some sense into her then it's you,"_

_Ruby was still trying to process everything. "What about you?"_

_"No matter what; just know…" Rose made contact with her red eyes. "This is my choice and I wanted this to happen," She began stepping forward to Jasper; but not before whispering one final request._

_"Take care of them, Ruby."_

**Greg…**

_"Trust me when I say this," He looked over at Sapphire. "I know that Ruby can be a little bit short tempered at times,"_

_'A little?' Sapphire thought sarcastically._

_"But she cares," Greg smiles softly. "She just has a hard time showing it."_

_Of course she cared. She literally risked her own life to save Sapphire. At first she thought that the girl was just being mean to spite her but it turns out that she doesn't know the red girl as much as she wish she did._

_Sapphire promised to change that once she was able to see the girl again._

_"Thank you Greg," She smiled genuinely. "I can see why Ruby goes to you for advice-" Sapphire paused and sheepishly grinned. "Sorry if I seem a little impatient,"_

_The word itself seemed foreign on her tongue._

_"I'm not usually like this but Ruby…" She chuckled. "Let's just say she gets a reaction out of me."_

_Greg laughed along with her. "I think she does that to all of us Sapphire,"_

**Steven…**

_Greg shut his mouth and quickly clicked on the finished file. He extracted it from his menu bar; Rose's gem fell to the ground softly. Ruby watched silently as it lit up; transforming into a figure._

_A chubby boy with curly brown hair appeared before them. He was wearing a light red shirt with a yellow star in the center, blue jeans that folded at the ankle and brown sandals. Light brown eyes opened; blinking slowly as they took in their surroundings._

_"…" Greg reached forward. "Steven?"_

_Said child looked at the older man; he grinned. "Dad," Steven cheered as he ran into his father's arms._

_"Steven," Greg held the child close to him. "Welcome to the world…" He grinned._

_The curly haired boy pulled away. "I've been waiting so long to meet you," His brown eyes softened. "…but I'm just upset that mom had t-"_

_Greg hushed him. "Steven she wanted you to be in this world; you were no mistake," His father poked him in the chest. "And she will always exist inside of you…"_

_"Really," Steven asked; a smile on his chubby face._

_Greg nodded. "Yeah,"_

**Ruby and Sapphire…**

_"Ruby, I think I finally understand," Sapphire's voice called out in the darkness._

_The red gem's voice traveled back to her; sounding far away. "Me too; the way to fusion is dancing!"_

_"What? No," Sapphire groaned; trying to calm down. "Dancing is one of the ways but it's not just a dance for you and I; it is our joy, fury, patience and our love," Her voice grew closer. "Garnet represents our love for not only us but the love we share for Connie, our friends—everything we care about!"_

Garnet chuckled, phasing her shades onto her face effortlessly. "So that's who I am,"

_The darkness inside suddenly turned into light; a bright blinding white light. Ruby and Sapphire glowed in the light; Ruby glowing red and Sapphire glowing blue._

_"Ruby!" Sapphire ran to her; wrapping her arms around her neck as she was spun around._

_The red gem grinned. "I get it now," Ruby stopped spinning her but held on tight. "This is an amazing feeling—I kind of don't want it to end," She confessed; not even feeling embarrassed._

_"…let's stay like this," Sapphire said, not looking away from red eyes. "My visions are better, everyone is expecting Garnet to be a leader and I like being this close to you," She bit her lip. "When we're not fused I feel like you're too far away even when you're right beside me,"_

_Ruby rested her forehead on top of her lovers. "I feel the same way; and it will be easier fighting together," She frowned softly. "But—but we have to talk to Connie about this first before we decide anything. She was already acting strange when she first met Garnet,"_

_"I suppose," Sapphire bit her lip; not wanting to split just yet._

_Ruby chuckled. "We'll talk to her in the morning,"_

_"Yeah," Sapphire nodded. "Together."_

No.

"…no," Garnet summoned a weapon, Sapphire's red sword, and plunged it deep into Yellow Diamond's stomach before she could get away. "I won't—I won't go down like this,"

Yellow Diamond gaped, staring down at the fusion beneath her; dropping her weapons in sheer pain. "Wh-what, but how? How did I lose to a stupid hybrid like you? You're supposed to be dead!"

Garnet sucked in a much needed breath, glaring up at the Diamond who began trembling. "Rose Quartz didn't die in vain. Steven and the others, Ruby and Sapphire, they didn't fight for months just to see me perish. There love is stronger than that, I'm stronger than that,"

Yellow Diamond sneered. "You're a character from the game! Once they escape you will cease to exist, do you understand that? You just fought for nothing!"

Garnet smiled weakly, looking up at the clearing sky. "…Wrong, as long as their love is existing, then so am I," She peacefully gazed at the sky.

"I'll always exist in them,"

* * *

Stevonnie pulled her sword from the slowly fading White Diamond. Her main intention was to find Garnet, maybe she needed some help, but before she could move the fusion burst apart. Connie and Steven were separated and tossed a couple feet from each other.

Steven groaned, rubbing his head. "Och,"

"Steven," Connie's voice called out to him, pointing in the sky. "Look!"

The other program gazed up where large beams of light were pulling things into the sky, things that looked like players from the game.

Steven gasped, running over to the girl who kept watching. "They're happy Steven, everyone is so happy!"

"Come on," He grabbed her hand. "We have to find Garnet!"

Connie shook her head, holding his hand even tighter. "No you don't, look," She pointed to the sky where two figures were being dragged up, together.

Steven gaped.

_Ladies and Gentlemen_

A loud voice spoke over them, causing Steven to jump and Connie to smile even brighter.

_On January 18, 2016 the game has been cleared, I repeat;_

Steven gasped. "No way," His mouth slowly formed a grin, stars in his eyes, as he hugged Connie close. "No way!" He spun her around childishly.

_The game has been cleared._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for not writing in so long but I had a total writer's block but when I started writing this earlier this morning I couldn't understand why I stayed away so long. This is not the last chapter, the final chapter will be up hopefully on Friday. I really need to end this story because it has been killing my heart, how I never gave a proper ending and have left you cliffhanged for months.
> 
> This might be my new favorite chapter, I love writing this story and hearing what you all think of it. Please review and tell me what you think, I promise I will see you guys again and happy late new year and stay tuned for the final chapter.
> 
> Also, I know how much you've all been waiting for fusion so I tried to put everyone in there; excluding Malachite and Sugilite. Maybe next time?


	19. Home

**Crystal Gems Online**

**Chapter 19: Home**

_The game has been cleared_

Ruby let out an unbelieving breath, bewilderedly looking up at the sky that was quickly pulling them up to the top where a bright light resided. "…it's finally over," She grinned sheepishly at the blue gem who seemed just as shocked as she was. "I guess this is it, huh?" She nervously scratched the back of her neck, teasing her thick curls.

"Will I ever see you again?" Ruby whispered, growing serious as she realized the reality of it all.

They were finally going home, she should feel happy. But she didn't, she felt so confused. They've spent months trying to escape this game and now that they finally were, she just wanted to spend a few more hours with Sapphire and Connie, and Steven and all the others who she had connected with in the game.

"I almost don't want to leave," Sapphire confessed, admitting what Ruby couldn't at the moment. "What—what if—what if you don't like what you see on the other side?"

Ruby made a face, moving to cup Sapphire's cheek in her gem embedded hand. "I bet you're even more beautiful in real life," She placed a fleeting kiss on her girlfriends soft lips before pulling away, time was fleeting. "When I wake up, I'll find you and then we can be together again, I promise,"

Sapphire bit her lower lip, smiling. "I'll be waiting,"

A bright yellow light consumed each of them as they reached the highest peak of the sky; a force stronger than gravity pulling them apart, separating them both back into their respectable worlds.

* * *

_Four months later_

"Do you have everything?"

The long haired girl, with slight trouble, picked up her heavy purse before hooking it on her left shoulder; smiling softly. "I've got it Ru—Jasmine," She quickly caught herself.

"Just making sure," The younger girl made a face, trying the foreign name on her tongue. "Amy~" She shook her head, curls bouncing at the movement. "I'm sorry, it's too weird, can I just call you Sapphire and you call me Ruby again?" She begged.

Sapphire sighed, almost in relief. "I thought you'd never ask," The school bell rung loudly over the empty courtyard where they were eating their lunch, Sapphire hummed as she searched for her cane. "We should start heading to class, can you…?"

"O-oh, of course, sorry," Ruby jumped up, bringing the older girl to her feet before gently handing her the wooden cane.

"I bet you're blushing," Sapphire muttered, sighing out in slight irritation. "I really miss seeing that on a daily basis, that cute blush and the adorable stutter you do,"

Ruby, like her girlfriend imagined, flushed darkly as she led them to the school's main entrance. "W-well, school is almost over. I can walk you home after so we can each log back on, then we can see Connie and Steven again,"

Sapphire perked up. "Yeah,"

Four slow months have passed since the ending of CGO and all of the surviving gamers have safely returned back home. Sadly, the ones who had already previously died were already gone. That included Rose and Jasper, they weren't coming back.

The first thing Ruby saw when she awoke were her parents, towering over her with bloodshot eyes and heavy bags under their eyes. Over the last few months of her being trapped in the game, they had realized how wrong they were for trying to force her to change her sexuality and promised her that things would be different. Ruby wasn't too sure she believed them, but she complied anyway and took a leap on faith.

If Peridot and Lapis could change, why couldn't her parents?

But being released from the game didn't mean she could immediately jump out of bed to find Sapphire. It took weeks of rehabilitation for her to even learn how to walk again before she could search the girl up online. Turns out, they've been going to the same school for years. But with Sapphire as a senior and Ruby as a junior, their paths never crossed.

When all of the players were returned home, Yellow Diamond (or Sarah Watkins) was traced down and arrested on the spot. She was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of thousands of players; during the trial the voting was unanimous.

Ruby caught up with Ashley (Amethyst) and Debbie (Pearl) during her gym class a little after they were released from the hospital and mentioned how she heard about someone making a CGO hack. The hack was exactly like the old game, except this time they could log out whenever they wanted to. It took a little convincing but after she brought up how lonely Steven and Connie had to be, they agreed.

She emailed Greg or Earl Universe about her idea but he refused, and she completely understood. He had a great job with cartoon animation at CAM studios and Steven was too young to leave unattended.

"Does Greg ever visit Steven?" Sapphire spoke, pausing. "…program Steven I mean, doesn't he miss him at all?"

Ruby frowned, looking down at her black school shoes that matched her uniform. The girls had two choices; a buttoned polo shirt with long pants and black shoes or a polo shirt with a fitted skirt and long socks with black shoes. Sapphire of course picked the skirt, but with those legs Ruby couldn't even tease her, and Ruby chose the more masculine outfit.

"I mean I guess he does," Ruby said as she traced Sapphire's hand with her calloused thumb. "But Steven is still so young and can't be left alone yet and after losing his wife—I don't think I'd want to go back either, he has so many bad memories," She glanced at the brown haired girl, using her free hand to push her bangs away to reveal lifeless green eyes that were dull to the world.

But not to Ruby, to Ruby they were the liveliest things on earth. "Yellow Diamond was insane, but she was right about one thing; if we never had logged on, then we never would have probably met. So even if we weren't freed and would have died in the game, it would be okay because at least I got to meet someone amazing like you,"

Sapphire blindly leaned in and Ruby immediately met her halfway, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss.

"I love how sappy you get," Sapphire spoke softly onto thin lips. "It's adorable,"

Ruby was to enraptured to blush, taking in the green orbs that continued to amaze her. "I love how much you love how sappy I am,"

"Get a room you two," A chubby girl shouted over to them as she rode on her skateboard in their direction. "You're going to be late for class,"

Sapphire rolled her eyes, quickly placing her protective brown bangs back in place. "Mind your own business Amethyst!"

"Whoa, violent," The chubby girl smirked, quickly skating passed them; causing a breeze to blow over the couple. "Save it for the game tonight! See you lovers later,"

Ruby watched her bestfriend skate up to the entrance before she looked at the slightly taller girl. "She hasn't changed much, huh?"

"Of course not," Sapphire snickered. "But you have, your grades are improving right? And you've stopped hanging out at Sour Cream's warehouse during the school week, right?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I only go on the weekends to speak to Buck and Jenny. And I have all A's and B's mother," She teased.

"Just checking," Sapphire smiled. "But we should really get to class, come on. The day will go by fast and then tonight we can see everyone again,"

Ruby grinned. "I can't wait,"

* * *

Sapphire leaned on the supporting shoulder that helped her up the stairs and into her bedroom where her game was waiting, she smiled. "Thank you Kyle,"

Her younger brother nodded, making sure that she was seated safely in her game chair before he stood up; he pushed his messy brown hair out of his eyes. "You're sure you don't need anything? Some snacks or—"

"I'm fine Kyle," She said softly as she blindly reached for her helmet on the table across from her. "Don't worry about me, go have fun with Evan,"

Her younger brother scratched the back of his neck. "You know, his mother told me that Evan was actually one of the players who made it out alive from the game. He was the youngest kid there, I heard, who knows; maybe you met him and you don't even know," He shook his head, blue eyes looking back to his older sister.

"Anyway, I'm heading out. I'll be spending the night with him so I won't see you until tomorrow morning," He explained, reaching for the door knob before he paused. "…I'm sorry, for abandoning you for all those years when you first became blind. We were really close and I didn't know how to approach you, so I didn't,"

"I should have been there for you—"

Sapphire smiled softly. "Kyle, all of that is in the past and we still have time to do everything over again,"

"…tell her I said thank you," Kyle mumbled, a soft blush on his face. "Jasmine, I mean, tell her that I want to thank her for looking out for my sister when I wasn't."

Sapphire nodded.

"And," Kyle paused one more time, joking. "Come back this time, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sapphire smiled, placing the helmet back on. "I will,"

If her brother said something else, Sapphire didn't hear him as the game began turning on. _Welcome back Sapphire_ , the game said loudly in her ear.

She smiled, it was great to be back.

* * *

"Sapphire," The blue haired girl looked up to see Ruby jogging over to her, she smiled.

"Ruby," Sapphire met her girlfriend halfway, grabbing a hand. "Sorry I'm late, my brother kept me," She said sheepishly. "And he said thank you, for looking out for me in the game,"

Ruby blushed, much to Sapphire's pleasure. "H-he's silly, it wasn't just me. It was a team effort," She brushed off, scrolling through her menu bar as she began to teleport them to the temple. "Come on, the others are waiting for us,"

Sapphire barely had time to nod before a bright light engulfed them and landed them on the warp pad in the temple. Lars and Sadie kindly greeted them from the couch before Amethyst and Pearl stepped out from the kitchen, smiling.

"Took you losers long enough to get here," Amethyst crossed her arms, grinning. "This is great, I can talk to you however I want now that you two aren't in charge anymore." She kicked the rug weakly. "I kind of miss it,"

Pearl nodded, glancing at the portrait that hung over their door. "So do I, I kind of feel lost now."

"I know how you feel," Ruby confessed, scratching the back of her neck. "But we shouldn't be moping around, we won!"

Sapphire nodded, a soft smile on her face. "Where were you two headed before we came in?"

"We're going to check up on Devin," Amethyst pointed her thumb outside where the dragon was walking about. "I'm taking Pearl for a ride and then we're going to catch up with Lars and Sadie at the cloud kingdom for a party."

"You should join us," Pearl suggested, leaning on the shorter purple gem. "The whole gang is going to be there, Peridot and Lapis even agreed to show up,"

Sapphire hummed, playing with her girlfriends hand. "Maybe,"

"Yeah, maybe," Ruby confirmed before pulling Sapphire towards the universal door. "We'll see you guys later,"

Amethyst and Pearl waved softly before jogging outside to stop Devin from terrorizing random players who were walking by. Ruby continued to pull Sapphire into the temple door; using their gems to open Garnet's room.

They barely made it through the door before a loud "Mommy, Mama!" greeted them and Connie jumped into their awaiting arms.

Sapphire kissed the younger girl on her forehead before pulling away to look at her. "Sorry we took so long,"

"It's fine," Connie exclaimed, dragging them deeper into the room. "Steven and I were practicing our fusion dance, it's really getting easier! By the way, Steven and I have been teaching all the other gems in this game about fusion, we've seen some good ones too!"

"Don't worry," Steven spoke up from the training hall as he approached them slowly. "None of them are cooler than Garnet,"

"Hey kid," Ruby waved at the child. "Connie's been telling us about how much you two have mastered fusion,"

Connie flushed, glancing from her mother to the startled quartz gem who blushed. "I-I didn't say all of that! Mama, take it back!"

Sapphire looked away from the amusing bickering to glance at Steven. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Steven nodded, placing his hand on the gem beneath his shirt. "It's great having you all here to visit us after school and on the weekends; I even saw Peridot and Lapis. But they always log on earlier than you guys,"

Sapphire nodded. "They don't live in the same state as us in the real world. They both live further east than the rest of us but they both go to the same school,"

Steven nodded. "…is it, selfish to want my mother and father here?"

"It's not selfish," Sapphire said. "It's human, which is a very good thing to be. Never feel bad about that,"

Steven nodded, looking up with a sheepish expression. "I haven't seen Garnet in a while~"

"Yeah," Connie said from where she sat atop Ruby's broad shoulders, grinning. "Stevonnie wanted to ask Garnet if she'd join her, you know, to teach the other gems about fusion. We're trying to complete the fusion book,"

Ruby frowned, letting her daughter off her shoulders. "What's a fusion book? How long have we been gone?" She glanced at her equally confused lover.

"A fusion book is just the listing of every possible fusion in the game," Steven explained. "Everyone is trying to finish it and find the strongest fusion there is, they even have battles in the battle dome. You should bring Garnet, let them know who's boss,"

Ruby and Sapphire glanced at each other before shaking their heads, smiling.

"Nah, our fighting days are over kids," Ruby waved them off. "We're too old,"

Sapphire snickered. "We're not old, but we just need some time to relax; we've been in the spotlight for a while but now it's your turn. Make a name for Stevonnie, let everyone know what a strong fusion she is,"

"But watch out," Ruby said with a grin. "You never know when Garnet will come to challenge you in the ring,"

Steven grabbed Connie's hand, waving at the older gems. "We will, see you guys later!"

"By mama, mommy," Their daughter quickly said before being transported out of the temple.

When the bright light from the teleportation was gone, Ruby turned to her lover. She silently held out her hand, bowing playfully.

"May I have this dance?"

Sapphire giggled, taking her hand. "It would be my honor."

They danced a simple waltz that they had mastered for months. A few twists here and some elegant turns there, and a reckless motion of Ruby swirling Sapphire in the air, finishing their dance. A bright white light produced the fusion who was wearing her casual outfit; a black long sleeved shirt, black pants, dark brown combat boots and a long cape covering her shapely form. Her blue sword and red shield strapped to her back.

Garnet opened her red and blue eyes, taking in her surroundings before fazing on her shades.

She said nothing as she walked out of the temple and through the now empty living room to the old wooden door that led to the beach where Ruby and Sapphire shared their first dance. Memories played over and over again through her head, many of which that didn't even belong to her.

Memories, that's all they were now. All the players of the game were free and the case had been solved and closed, she had to move on. There was nothing else left to punch, no team to lead and all the missions were complete.

Ruby and Sapphire's job was done. Soon no one would remember Ruby the gem smasher or even bat and eye at Sapphire the future teller. They had completed their mission and it was time for them to retire, but Garnet.

She glanced in the direction of the battle dome where thousands of fusions were battling for their own name, so they too could be remembered. So they could be feared in the game and respected by all the players.

Garnet lifted her lips into a small grin that was neither a resemblance of Ruby nor Sapphire, but all her own, as she quickly ran in the direction of the fighting.

Her legacy was just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised I wouldn't cry when I finally finished this story, but I can't help it! This was my very first Ruby/Sapphire story and it's finally finished, I'm so happy. I really hope you enjoyed this just as much as I have and if you have any questions leave some reviews and I'll answer them on my Ao3 account.
> 
> The player Kyle was talking about was Centipedal if you guys didn't catch that.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout all of this, you are all amazing, and I'll continue writing my other stories so this won't be the last of me.


End file.
